The Karakura Winter
by Kazukagi
Summary: Ichigo and Rukia: childhood friends, teenage lovers. After ten years apart they reunite under the snow of Karakura. Will their old love rekindle? Or will their history, and their engagements, keep them apart? IchiRuki
1. Chapter 1: Karakura

Disclaimer: Tite Kubo and Shounen Jump are the owners of Bleach. I am but a humble fan, borrowing Kubo's characters for my perverse fantasies. They don't make me any money either. Seriously.

**Chapter One: Karakura**

"Last stop, Karakura West! Final call for all passengers!"

At the sound of the booming voice, he gave a half-smile. Standing up out of his seat, the orange haired youth gave a sigh, stretching his arms above his head. Before settling his right arm back down to his side, he swiped his bag off of the rack above him.

Stepping off the train gingerly, his shoes made a dull echo as they hit the stone of the Karakura station. He let out a breath, the could air crystallizing it in the air before him.

"Sure is good to be back. Karakura... it's been ten years..." He whispered softly. Giving a satisfied sigh, Ichigo stretched his hands up and looked towards the night sky.

"And already I can see that nothing has changed." Ichigo lamented. Quirking an eyebrow, Ichigo turned his attention to the clouds above him, rolling over to cover the night sky.

"Looks like it could snow any minute now..." Ichigo said, in an uninterested tone. Slinging the bag over his shoulder, Ichigo set out from the station towards the streets below. The main station, Karakura Central, would have deposited Ichigo in the middle of the bustling city: down town. However, despite Ichigo's yearning to check out the old place, he instead opted to get of at Karakura West, a more suburban area. It was where Ichigo had grown up, and his house wasn't more than a mile from the station.

Taking in the scenery for a moment, Ichigo recognized the neighborhood, a small area of shops and restaurants. Pinpointing the street he was to follow, Ichigo made his way across the town.

To Ichigo, being back in his old neighborhood was quite nostalgic. He hadn't been to Karakura for ten years, yet he still knew it like the back of his hand. It was an odd feeling, all the old memories rushing over him. His childhood, his house, his family and friends, _her..._

Ichigo shook his head, banishing this line of thought from his head. Suddenly, Ichigo remembered why he had avoided coming back for all those years. This town held more than just old memories. Besides, not all of those memories were good ones.

It really had been a long time though. After all, Ichigo had left the town ten years ago, when he was 14. Certain events had driven Ichigo to seek a more peaceful, solitary life outside the city limits. As such, he had left town, finished high school while living alone, then flew to America to study in Chicago. By the time Ichigo returned to Japan, he was 23, had a degree in education and his English teaching credentials, and hadn't so much as talked to a single figure from his past since his departure. That had been a year ago.

"Huh... wait, aren't you..?"

Ichigo stopped, turning to the sound of the voice. There was a man standing in front of him, shorter than him by a head with his black hair cut short and smart. He wore an expensive looking white winter coat and long dark slacks, holding a bag of wrapped gifts. He was looking up at Ichigo with intense scrutiny. Ichigo blinked for a moment, then his memory clicked.

"Mizuro, is that you!" Ichigo said, surprised. The man gave a nod, then a smile. "So it is you Ichigo! I knew it, I'd never see anybody else with that shade of hair in my life!" He said jokingly. Ichigo clenched a fist.

"Right to the hair... this place never does change, does it?" Ichigo said, feigning anger. Mizuro gave a laugh. "Yeah well, sorry. Old habits die hard." He laughed. "And talk about old habits... how long has it been since I've seen you man? It has to have been at least eight years."

"It's been ten." Ichigo said. Mizuro gave a nod. "Yeah, you haven't been to Karakura once since you left all that time ago. Man that was a crazy time. Don't blame you for wanting to get out, personally. Still, would it have hurt to visit once?" Mizuro said cheerfully.

"Yeah, I've been busy..." Ichigo lamented. "What about yourself? You still live around here?" Ichigo asked curiously. Mizuro gave a nod. "You know what they say, few people leave the west side of Karakura. I'm still well off, though. I went into the family business, didn't even bother with university. I married a girl from work a few years back. Other than that, life's been normal around here." Mizuro finished, as if trying to drop the subject. Ichigo gave a grin, he hadn't missed the real bomb dropped.

"You married? My my, the pimp himself settled down. How old is she?" Ichigo asked slyly, a nod to Mizuro's old preferences in older women. Mizuro gave a blush. "Aiko is only a year older than me, for your information." Ichigo gave a whistle, "Aiko huh? How exactly did she get you to settle down, will all those girls you used to carry around?" Ichigo asked. Mizuro gave a chuckle. "She never had to deal with any of that. I was smitten after our first conversation, and once I realized I had a shot with her, I sent those girls away..." Mizuro gave a light laugh, "It was a nice, if strange twist, me chasing after a girl as opposed to the other way around."

"Well congratulations, I'll have to come over and meet her sometime." Ichigo said happily. Mizuro gave an agreeing nod. "Yeah, we need to get together. Besides meeting Aiko, the three of us, You, Keigo and myself, need to go out." Mizuro inquired.

"Oh god, Keigo is still around here too?" Ichigo laughed at Mizuro's somber nod. "So how is everybody doing? You know, Keigo and Chad, Ishida and Tatsuki?" He asked curiously. Mizuro put turned his eyes up to think, placing his back down on the sidewalk.

"Well... Keigo is just fine. That idiot moved to an apartment downtown, but we still meet for drinks every Friday night. He's works all kinds of jobs. Hasn't stuck to one thing yet, but he seems happy regardless." Mizuro gave a small laugh. "Never did get over you leaving, though. You should hear him every time he's drunk, it's 'Ichigo this', and 'my wing man that'. Ichigo gave a nod and a smile. "Sounds like Keigo." He assured.

"Chad's fine too. He works days as a construction manager, and plays with his band at clubs some nights. We still talk, on occasion." Mizuro said. "I don't talk with Ishida all that much, but I heard from Chad that he's working down at the city hospital with his dad. Tatsuki... oh, I haven't seen much of her in awhile. She was working as a martial arts instructor, but she left town for a tournament about two months ago, and I haven't talked to her since. She may already be back for all I know, but she lives over on the east side, and I never go there." Mizuro's face turned serious for a moment, and he looked back at Ichigo. "She never got over you leaving either, but not like Keigo. I hear she went on a warpath trying to track you down. She was pissed, man. If I were you'd I'd try to find the time to apologize, or at least let her hit you a few times."

Ichigo nodded, satisfied. "Yeah... I figured that. I didn't mean to just abandon you all, it's just that..." Mizuro held up a hand, halting his friend. "Don't worry about it, man. I know you, you're the kind of guy who works through anything in time. You just needed that time. You didn't abandon anybody, no matter how much Tatsuki bitches. Now here, hold this." Giving his bag to Ichigo, Mizuro reached into his pocket, pulling out his phone. "So how long are you in town for? We all need to get together."

"I'm in until about New Year's, then I'm heading back to Tokyo." Ichigo replied. Mizuro gave a nod, jotting a note down on his phone. "Alright, then I'll call you when I-... oh, of course, that's what I was forgetting!" Mizuro interrupted himself, snapping his fingers in realization. "I almost forgot, can't believe I did! You wanted to know about the others, and I totally forgot her! Last I heard, Ru-".

Ichigo gently pushed the bag back into Mizuro's hands, and sent his friend a glance. It was neither hostile nor confrontational, it almost looked... sad. Yet it was icy, and held an ultimatum: Mizuro wasn't supposed to talk about her, no matter what.

"Like I said, I'm glad to know everybody is doing fine." Ichigo said coolly. "You're right, we really should go out sometime. But right now, I have to head home, say hello to the family. Call the clinic when you've got a date." With that, Ichigo turned, walking down the street towards his old house. "It was good seeing you Mizuro." Ichigo said absently, waving to his old friend without turning back to face him. Mizuro stared after his friend for a few moments, before replying.

"You too Ichigo..." He trailed off, staring after his friend's receding back. Mizuro stood in place for few more minutes, until the cold was too much for him, and he turned to continue on his way. Yet all the way home, the same question was nagging Mizuro.

Why had Ichigo not wanted to hear about his old girlfriend?

XxXxX

"We've now arrived at Karakura International. Thank you for flying with us. Be sure to-"

At the sound of the stewardess, she was up in an instant, throwing off her seat-belt and dashing out into the isle to obtain her carry on. The two men sitting next to her, both obviously businessmen, shot her dirty looks for her rather manic behavior, but the disdain was lost on her. Tonight nothing could get her down, she just knew it.

She opened the overhead, her bag falling out and right into her hands, a bit of good luck, she thought. Giving a nod to the stewardess, she hurried off the plain, her eyes looking out of the windows of the terminal for her first glance of Karakura in ten years The bright lights of Karakura's downtown seemed to fight back the cold darkness of the night, and she basked in her city's familiar warmth.

"Karakura City... I've missed you. Glad to be back." Giving a contented smile, Rukia gave a skip before exiting into the terminal. She passed through a series of corridors and check points, retrieved her bag (It had been first on the cargo belt, another spot of good luck), and dashed out into pick-up area, her form shivering slightly as her body hit the cold winter air. Reaching a hand into her bag, Rukia withdrew a red scarf and a long brown winter coat, throwing them on to combat the cold she had in truth missed so much.

"Much better. Now then, where is Nii-sama? He said he would be here..." Rukia swiveled her head to and fro, looking for her supposed escort. Then, out of the corner of her eye, she noticed a tall, slender looking man, with long black hair held in place by a ceremonial hair piece, a hair piece she would recognize anywhere, as a family heirloom. Rukia grabbed her bags, running towards the car.

"Nii-sama!" Rukia shouted. The man, dressed in a stylish black suit and dark blue tie, looked up to get a good view of her, before taking the cigarette out of his mouth and crushing it under his expensive looking leather shoes.

"Rukia-" Byakuya started, before said girl dropped her bags and threw her arms around his waist. His normally impassive face adopting a more uncertain look, Byakuya froze for a few moments, before giving his younger sister a few pats on the back.

"Yes, yes, I have missed you too Rukia. We have many matters to discuss, ones that we cannot get to until you unattached yourself from me." He finished. Rukia pulled away, giving Byakuya a guilty smile. "Sorry, Nii-sama."

"Pay it no mind." Byakuya replied. Stepping back, he looked her over.

"You have grown in the last ten years," Byakuya said, almost proudly, "You are an adult now. I am sure Hisana would be proud." Rukia gave a sad smile at the mention of her departed sister. Byakuya and Rukia really weren't blood related brother and sister. Back when Rukia had been little Hisana had taken care of the two of them. She had fallen in love with and married Byakuya, only to die five years later. Ever since, Byakuya has considered Rukia to be his true sister, and had treated her as such. Even so, the death of Hisana had weighed heavily on Rukia, back when it happened. Her death, among other... incidents, had caused Rukia to leave home at age 15.

After three years away on her own, Rukia had worked up the courage to write a letter to her brother. When she had sent it, she fully expected him to not respond, or to be angry with her. No such thing. His response had been cordial, a combination of respect for her choice to move, and no-so-well contained joy over her break up with her previous boyfriend. Byakuya had never really liked the boy in the first place. Rukia had continued to write letters to Byakuya and her other friends whenever she could. However, this was the first time since she ran away that she was actually in Karakura again. Despite all the letters, she had never really worked up the courage to return in person. To tell the truth, even now she wasn't sure she was ready for this.

However, Rukia didn't have a choice this time.

"Shall we go then Rukia?" Byakuya inquired, gesturing to the sleek black car next to his person. "Dinner will be prepared soon." Rukia gave a nod. "Sure Nii-sama, let's go home."

Byakuya nodded. "Yes... home."

XxXxX

As Ichigo turned the corner onto the next street, he stopped, taking the sight in. Nostalgia flew over him in waves, and all at once he let out a smile. His old street, yet another place that had seemingly been frozen in time. As he walked down the side walked, his head constantly turned from left to right, looking at the homes of his old friends. Right as he turned the corner, there was Tatsuki's house, and across the street from it, where Orihime and her brother used to live. Farther down was Chad's house, across the street and a few doors down from Ichigo's own. Ishida's was further down, as was Keigo's and finally Mizuro's at the far end of the street. There were so many others, Chizuru's house, and... the Shiba's. Not to mention-"

His steps coming to an abrupt halt, Ichigo stopped dead, turning to look at the darkened house next to his own. While the other homes on the street housed windows radiating a warm light, this one sat silent and cold. It's old occupants had long left it, and no one had come to claim it since. The grass grew wild, the paint peeled and the windows lied dark. As the rest of the block seemed to withstand the test of time, this house alone had seemingly succumbed to time's curse.

Even so, he still remembered every little detail about it. The front porch that her sister always used to sit on in the morning, the flat section of the roof she used to play on, the small hole under the left side of the house he had always hid in whenever they played tag or hide and go seek. There was the small pond in the front lawn, where her annoying brother used to take his tea, and there... there were the two bedroom windows, hers and his own, level with one another and no more than three feet apart. How many times did he cross between those two windows, how many nights did he spend, lights out, sitting on the window sill, as the two of them talked the night away...

With a shake of his head, Ichigo returned to the present. He was angry, not so much at her, or the house, but at himself, for remembering the good things about this house, and not the bad. He wasn't supposed to remember how good it used to be, because if he did, then...

Passing a hand through his unruly hair, Ichigo suddenly felt very tired. He had spent ten years trying to forget everything about her, and to have all of his work shattered at the mere sight of where she used to live... it was sobering.

Giving a sigh, Ichigo walked a few more steps, until he was standing before another house. Above the garage a large sign glowed softly, "Karakura Clinic" spread across it seemingly advertising to nothing. Ichigo walked up the driveway and steps, since he had left his dad had repainted it a fresh coat of white, and replaced their old rickety door. Still, as he stood before the door of his old home, Ichigo felt like he was home. He raised his fist to knock, but pulled away at the last second. It was only now that Ichigo realized that he had no idea what he was going to say.

After he had left, Ichigo hadn't said a word to any friends or family. He hadn't even so much as written a letter to his family until about two weeks ago, when Ichigo had written his dad to ask if it was okay to come home for the holidays. Ichigo had received a letter back within a few days, which told Ichigo that he could not only come, but that attendance was mandatory. So now here Ichigo was, standing before the door, no clue what to say. Should he apologize for, or explain his actions? Should he defend them as correct? Should he simply give whoever answered the door a big hug and admit he missed them? Ichigo realized this was a pivotal moment, and he needed to figure out what the right thing to say was.

Failing that, he simply forced himself to give a few sharp knocks on the door, figuring he would stammer something out... eventually.

There was a moment of silence, nothing but the light winter breeze rattling the few stubborn leaves that had yet to fall the season beforehand. Then, voices.

"I've got it, I've got it!" A feminine voice called out. there was a click of a lock being undone, and with a turn of the nob, the door was opened.

Ichigo was greeted by the sight of a beautiful women, one who it took him a second to recognize. She had changed a lot, her light brown hair grown out and placed up in a neat clip. She was taller, at least a head and a half so, though still not quite able to look Ichigo in the eye directly. A gasp came from her lips, a slight shimmer in her amber eyes. Ichigo bit back a gasp himself. It was eerie, just how much she reminded him of their mother, who had died so long ago. But no, she was long gone, the person before him now... it was his younger sister. For a moment, Ichigo stood silent, not quite sure of what to say, if anything at all. Then he saw the emotions running wild in his younger sibling's eyes, and he realized that this moment wasn't about easing his own worries. It was about easing his family's. Sighing, Ichigo gave a soft smile.

"Hey there Yuzu, you've sure grown up." He said affectionately. The girl took one step back, a disbelieving look contained in her eyes.

"I-...Ichi-ni?" She called timidly, her meek voice barely carrying to Ichigo's ears. From beyond the hallway, another head poked out from around the corner.

"Hey Yuzu! Who is... it..." the head trailed off, as Ichigo's form fell into the line of vision. The blue eyes remained trained on Ichigo for a moment, as if in doubt, before the head pulled around and an entire body came into view. Without a second wasted, she marched towards the door with heavy steps.

Despite the anger evident in Karin's eyes, Ichigo couldn't suppress the smirk on his face. Karin had grown up too, though in a much different way. While Yuzu had grown into the body of a women, Karin hadn't grown so much as she had been stretched. She was taller than her twin, and thinner. Though she possessed none of the curves her sister had, Karin had a sort of striking, more stern beauty to her. Her hair was longer than he remembered: brushing the tops of her shoulders but still as straight as ever.

"Hey Karin-" Ichigo was cut off mid sentence, as a powerful fist connected with his stomach. Ichigo doubled over in pain clutching his stomach, her strength had grown too. Ichigo looked up to find himself eye to eye with the raven haired girl, dark blue eyes piercing his defenses.

"You bastard!" Another blow, this time a slap to the face. Ichigo's head hit the door frame, and he grunted as he swallowed the rising blood in his mouth. "How dare you leave for so long and then just waltz in here like you left yesterday!" There was no hate in his sister's eyes, but there was anger, and sadness. Tears began to form in the corners. "You're such a..." Karin trailed off, throwing her arms around her brother's waist and crying into his stomach. In truth her affection only served to further irritate the sore spot, but he didn't dare show it. "You're such a jerk..." she muttered, beating her fists weakly against his chest. Looking up, Ichigo say Yuzu spouting some of those same tears, and soon both his sisters were crying into his lap. Letting his bag slide from his shoulder, Ichigo fell to his knees, wrapping his arms around the pair's heads and bringing them tightly to his chest.

"Sorry about that. I didn't mean to make you hurt so much. You'll have to forgive your stupid brother..." Ichigo comforted in a soft voice. Closing his eyes, Ichigo gave a sigh.

"I'm home..."

XxXxX

Rukia flopped back into her chair, giving a satisfied sigh of content. It had been ages since she had eaten a meal that well prepared, hell she had been living mostly on instant ramen for the past few years. It felt good to have a home cooked meal for a change. Well, as much as you could call that made by a hired chef "home cooked." At the sound of her fork coming down on her plate, a maid swooped in from the corner of the dining room to take her empty plate away. Rukia mumbled her thanks, to which the maid only bowed.

"It was great Nii-sama!" Rukia said cheerfully. Byakuya gave a nod. "Yes, that new chef is much better than the last one, I do not regret my choice to do a small shuffle of the staff. I shall inform him that you liked the meal." Pushing out his chair and flicking the napkin from his lap to the table, Byakuya stood up, a calculating look in his eyes.

"Now then Rukia, if you would be so kind as to have tea with me in the parlor. We have some things to discuss." Byakuya said with no particular affliction, as he turned his back to Rukia and began to walk towards the aforementioned room. Rukia gave a shout of "Sure!" before jumping up and following her brother out of the dining room. Coming to a sliding door, Byakuya lead Rukia into the only Japanese style room in the house, a tea room. Kneeling on her side of the table, Rukia leaned back on her hands.

"This house is incredible Nii-sama! While I wasn't expecting a hovel when you told me about buying a new house, but I didn't expect this!" It was all true, Rukia had not expected to find her older brother living a life of luxury in a beautiful mansion within the upscale Northern Karakura. Rukia couldn't help but smile, This large house in the middle of the city suited her brother much more then their old house in the suburbs. Her brother liked to be in the middle of everything ninety percent of the time, and relaxing in solitude the other ten percent. Back in the suburbs it had been about a fifty fifty split, and even then she could tell it had annoyed him.

The sliding door next to Byakuya opened slightly, and another maid entered the room, placing two cups of steaming tea and a pot on the table, before giving a bow and departing. Byakuya wasted no time picking up his cup and taking a careful sip.

"Quite. With Hisana's passing,and your sudden disappearance, work became the only real thing in my life worth doing. By the time you had written me, my performance had seen me to the position of Chief Executive Officer." Rukia gave a giggle. That was her brother.

"By the way, the topic of your return brings me to the real issue I wish to discuss with you." Byakuya said in a business-like tone, an almost harsh undertone within. Rukia picked up her cup, giving her brother a smile. "What is it Nii-sama?" She chirped.

"I of course read you most recent letter, and while I apologize for being blunt, I will have you know I don't buy your farfetched reasons behind returning to Karakura for an instant. So tell me, why is it that you have come back?" Byakuya said firmly.

A slight gasp, and with a clatter Rukia's cup fell to the floor beside her.

XxXxX

A few minutes after their initial... er, reunion, Ichigo finally managed to detach Karin and Yuzu from his person. Picking up his bag once more, Ichigo set his feet into the house for the first time in ten years. Stretching his hands above his head, Ichigo gave a bright smile.

"Man, the longer you're away, the better it feels coming home. This is ten years worth of it." He sighed contentedly. Karin gave a snort. "Revel in it while you can, you know that if you show even the smallest sign of leaving the house, old goat-beard will hand-cuff you to the bed." Karin said snidely. Yuzu laughed, while Ichigo gave his sister a curious look.

"That reminds me, where is dad anyway?" Karin gave a groan.

"He's-"

"ICHIGO!" Ichigo turned to face the source of the shrill cry, his vision filled for an instant with a foot, before it connected heavily with his face, sending Ichigo flying back out into the front yard. The cold night had frozen the grass blades over, and Ichigo gave a curse of pain as he landed hard on the lawn. Squinting up, Ichigo found the form of his father standing in the doorway, an all-too-rare serious expression on the old man's face.

"So, my idiot son returns." Isshin stated in a cold tone. "After such a long time away, don't expect to get off easily. Prepare for your punishment." Striding over to Ichigo, Isshin grabbed his son by the collar, and held out a fist, ready to strike. Ichigo clenched his fists... but only for an instant, then he let his open palms fall to his sides.

"Punishment huh?" Ichigo said. "Sounds reasonable. Do your worst old man, it's not like you can even punch that hard."

For an instant, Isshin's fist faltered a fraction, unclenching from its form. It was back a blink later, and Isshin gripped his son's collar a bit tighter.

"So you're not going to fight back?" Isshin inquired, "My son would always hit back, no matter the reason for his beating. How am I supposed to believe he'd be any different now?"

Ichigo gave a small smile, holding up his empty hands. "Don't get me wrong old man, if this were any other time or place, I'd show you just how strong I've gotten." Ichigo let his smile falter, and he found it hard to look his father in the eye. "I guess... I figure I deserve it this time."

Isshin locked eyes with Ichigo, giving his son an unblinking stare. "Ten years ago, you wouldn't have hesitated to hit me back... heh." With a grin, Isshin released his grip, and Ichigo fell to the ground with a surprised yell. "I was afraid that you would have stayed the same punk you were before. I'm glad to see you've actually grown up. Welcome home, Ichigo." Isshin said proudly, before slamming his fist into his son's face with a terrible might.

Ichigo, who had been at that moment picking himself up, fell back into the ground with a loud slam, cries of pain coming from the orange haired boy. "The first one was for making your sisters cry. The second one was for calling me old."

Looking left and right between her crippled brother and her gleeful father, Karin gave a nod. "Glad things are back to normal already. Now then, when the hell is dinner?"

Yuzu jumped up, cheeks on fire. "Oh my god!" She yelled. "I never even started! Ichi-ni came to the door, and then dad and... oh, I need to hurry!" Giving a mad dash, Yuzu rain into the house at lightning speed, almost knocking Isshin clear off his feet. Giving a chuckle, Ichigo stumbled to his feet and began his trek inside.

"_Might as well go help her..." _Ichigo thought to himself. Bending over to grab his bag, Ichigo moved to enter the kitchen, but stopped short. Slowly, he reached down into his back, clutching a small object in his hand.

"Hey dad!" Ichigo called. Isshin turned, just in time to catch a small red talisman Ichigo had thrown at him. Masaki's protective charm, the last memento of her Ichigo had. Looking up, Isshin saw Ichigo give a smile. "Thanks, she helped me get through a bunch of stuff... but I don't need it anymore. So I'm returning it, just like you asked me to." Turning, Ichigo rounded the hallway and left Isshin's vision. grasping the talisman tightly, Isshin gave a chuckle. "Our son's grown up well, eh Masaki?"

Ichigo entered the old kitchen, immediately assaulted by the smells of a several different spices and vegetables, as well as the frantic mutterings of Yuzu as she set about trying to do a 20 minute job in five minutes. Smiling, Ichigo put his bag down on the kitchen table and walked up to the counter. Without a word, Ichigo picked a knife for himself and began to cut up a few nearby cucumbers. At the sound of his knife hitting the cutting board, Yuzu looked up for the first time, casting her brother a perplexed look. "Ichi-ni?"

Ichigo gave a shrug. "You seemed a little overwhelmed, so I thought I could help." Ichigo said calmly, easily finishing up the cucumber and moving on to a batch of fresh herbs. Yuzu raised an eyebrow. "Since when could you cook, Ichi-ni?" She asked doubtfully. Ichigo laughed, feigning a hurt look. "Is it that odd? Well, ever since that time Ori- I... mean... er-" Ichigo cut his sentence off, giving a cough. "I mean, you see, well you can't live by yourself and not know how to cook! So I took a few classes at my university... you know, just to get acquainted, hehe..." Ichigo gave a bashful smile. Yuzu cast her brother an almost skeptical look, but was distracted when the timer next to her went off. Any doubt about Ichigo's story went out the window as Yuzu gave a yelp, franticly pushing an assortment of ingredients in Ichigo's direction.

"Okay, so you can cook well right? Good, then can you please chop those up? Oh, and make sure to put that rice in the steamer. So you'll need water, oh, and some spices too. Butter's in the fridge, but it has to be softened, you'll have to do that. Then there's the sauce..." As Yuzu continued on her never-ending list of demands, Ichigo gave a sigh. What had he gotten himself into?

XxXxX

As one of the maids busied herself with picking up the fragments of Rukia's shattered tea cup, Rukia sat stiff, her eyes looking anywhere but into her brother's. He said nothing, but continued to stare at her, his sharp eyes boring a hole straight through to her brain. Rukia gave a shiver. She wasn't ready for this. Obviously she was going to have to tell him eventually, that was the whole reason she had come! Yet she had hoped it would be on her terms, when she was ready. Damn Nii-sama for being so perceptive!

"W-What do you mean, you don't b-buy it?" Rukia stammered, her first words in over ten minutes. In a rare moment of... well any emotion, Byakuya raised an eyebrow.

"Rukia, as much as I enjoy playing this game with you, I would rather not dance around the issue for the next hour. We both know your justifications for this visit were groundless. You have not visited me, despite repeated urgings I might add, for ten years. Yet now suddenly you find that you must come back, and this month of all times. I want to know why."

Rukia gave a deep sigh, trying unsuccessfully to let the butterflies leave her stomach. Her brother had always been like that, and she wondered to herself why she figured she would be able to fool him this time.

"Well... you know I've been gone for over ten years and... well I've grown up, as you've said. And um... certain er... _things _happen as you grow up..."

Byakuya remained silent, allowing his sister to finish her story. However his eyes never left her's, and Rukia couldn't help but feel like he was scrutinizing every little fidget.

"Um... what I'm trying to say is that... I've been, well, _seeing _someone for a couple years now."

Byakuya closed his eyes for a moment, and Rukia instantly went for the save.

"D-Don't worry Nii-sama! He's nothing like the last one! R-Renji-kun is a rather influential businessman! I met him at work, he's very nice. We were friends for a few years... and then things kinda escalated and-"

Byakuya raised a hand, and Rukia instantly dropped her train of thought. Byakuya took a breath before beginning: "While I feel some... apprehension after seeing you old choice in boys, I understand that finding a soul mate is part of growing up, and I would have expected no less from you. From what you have told me, this man sounds much better than that orange haired brat. However-!" Byakuya cut Rukia off as she tried to interject, "I must meet with this man before I will approve of anything."

Rukia audibly swallowed, now shaking in fear. "Ah... y-your approval. Yes Nii-sama, that's what I came for because you see I-" she halted, unable to continue "I-"

"Yes?" Byakuya asked, his face neutral, yet his eyes already beginning to piece together her ultimate confession, "You?"

Rukia took a deep breath, and looked her brother square in the eye.

"I-"

XxXxX

After placing the last of the various dishes on the table, Ichigo took up his old seat across from the old man. Karin and then finally Yuzu settled in, and with that Isshin began digging in. Karin as well, however Yuzu refrained, giving her family a once over.

"I'm glad..." she began, the tears coming back to her eyes again, "to have everybody at the table again. Without Ichi-ni it just felt so-!"

Ichigo placed a firm hand on his sister's head, shooting her a smile. "Hey, I'm not going anywhere, not for a long while. So eat already, you put way too much work into it as is."

Yuzu gave a small giggle, but began loading her plate. "Yes, I'm looking forward to this, after all Ichi-ni helped me cook it."

Karin looked up once, shooting her brother a skeptical glance. However she already had half the food on the table in her mouth, and from the satisfied look on her face, Ichigo could tell she had no complaints. "I only did a few small tasks, Yuzu is the real one who cooked all this." Ichigo said passively, digging into his own meal. Ichigo took a moment to savor it: it had been far too many years since he'd had Yuzu's cooking. Only now did Ichigo realized how much he missed it."

"So then Ichigo!" Isshin screamed, already having finished his first serving, "Tell me, what was with the sudden request to return home? Did you just miss us that much?" His tone was joking, but the look Isshin gave his son was anything but. Ichigo gave a nervous laugh.

"Well I did miss you guys," Ichigo said, realizing how true it really was, "Yeah... I really did miss you all. This city too, and most everybody here. I missed this whole place, leaving it felt like I had lost an arm, or something like that."

Isshin packed away a second helping of rice, before giving his son a smug glance. "But that isn't the only reason, is it boy?"

Ichigo stopped eating mid-bite, looking up to meet his father's gaze. "No but... just what are you implying old man?"

Isshin's gaze didn't falter, a smile growing on his bearded face. "How did their old house strike you, eh? Were you surprised to see the state? Sorry to tell you, but they moved out only a little while after you did."

Ichigo banged his chopsticks down onto his bowl with a terrible force, causing Yuzu to give a start. "If you've got something to say just fucking say it old man!" Ichigo practically shouted. Isshin sighed.

"Stubborn kid, you came here to see Rukia-chan, right?"

Frozen, in an instant the room froze. All the tension between the father and son, it held suspended, then cracked. With a fury, Ichigo slammed his fists into the table, standing up from his chair.

"Who the hell-" he began, reaching across the table and grabbing his father by the collar, "Would want to see that bitch!"

There was a mad fury in Ichigo's eyes, a fury he hadn't felt for years. The look on his face had caused Yuzu to shrink back from the table, even Karin's eyes had widened in shock. Yet as if to openly mock his anger, Isshin gave his son a grim smile.

"So then, you haven't made up with her after all. I had some hope but... ten years and still so much anger, such a shame." Isshin's face shifted, adopting a more serious look. "Don't you think it's about time you forgave her... forgave yourself?"

Ichigo let go of his father, falling back wearily into his seat. "Even if I wanted to do such a thing," he said, all the anger now replaced with the voice of a man weary of the world, "she's gone. Why do you think you haven't seen her for all these years? She skipped town right before I did. Heh, I guess she finally had enough of me. No, it's better this way. Meeting her... it would only be bad for both of us."

Ichigo silently returned to his meal, and after a few moments so did the rest of his family. The awkward silence continued for a few minutes, before Karin's voice finally cut the tension.

"So if you're not here looking for Rukia," Karin said, ignoring her brother's cringe at her name, "What are you here for?" Ichigo stopped eating, putting his chopsticks down and looking at his family.

"I've been gone a long time, and a lot of stuff has happened." Ichigo began, taking in a breath. "Most of it I always reasoned I could tell you later, that you'd be fine hearing five, ten even fifteen years down the road." Ichigo gave an hollow laugh, looking up to meet the gazes of his family. "Not this one though, I think you guys have the right to hear this one first hand."

Isshin raised an eyebrow. "So?" He pushed, "What's going on?"

Ichigo took a deep breath: now or never. "The truth is I-"

XxXxX

"I'm engaged."

"I'm getting married."

XxXxX

**A/N: About bloody time I finished this one. At any rate, cliffhanger ending because I'm a jerk, but then again I pretty much gave this little twist away in the summary, so was it necessary? Meh.**

**So this story has been... 2, 3 years in the making? It has gone through rewrites, revisions and entire overhauls... and yes, all three of those things are different. I've had this idea of Ichigo and Rukia being ex-lovers for ages, and I want to get this one right. Hence all the revision work.**

**So I know what you old fans of mine are thinking: "Oh great, Kazukagi is releasing ANOTHER story that he will never update." Not true, for I have prepared in advance! I have the first five, yes you heard right, FIVE chapters already written. The other four need some minor edit work, but everything is mostly there. I'll be releasing once a month, so that means almost half a year of guaranteed updates! Never let it be said I don't go the extra mile for you guys.**

**A quick note for you ardent shippers: Be warned up front that Orihime and Renji have big roles in this story, and they do spend the majority of it (perhaps all of it?) In the pairing configuration of Ichigo/Orihime and Rukia/Renji. Of course there will be Ichigo/Rukia everywhere because I roll like that. So if you don't want to see Ichigo kissing Orihime or Renji and Rukia acting like a couple, just leave. It ain't ending any time soon. Just some fair warning.**

**At any rate, hope you enjoy! Feel free to pop off a review if you find the time. See you next time!**


	2. Chapter 2: Explanations

_I do not own Bleach, nor any of it's characters. That honor belongs to Tite Kubo, resident mad genius of Shounen Jump. All glory to his trolling!_

**Chapter 2: Explanations**

A clattering sound, and another frankly very expensive tea cup crashed to the floor for the second time that night.

Rukia wasn't quite sure what to do at this moment. Even in the many years she had spent with him, there were very few times Rukia had seen her brother lose his composure. Losing his job, when she had accidentally killed one of the koi in his pond, the first time he found her trying to sneak into Ichigo's room via her window... he had taken all of these things in stride. Only as he sat at Hisana's deathbed, clinging the pale hand of his wife while quietly begging her not to die, had Rukia ever seen her brother lose his oh-so-important cool. Yet now here he was, eyes wide, mouth open, hand still held loosely in the air as if still holding a tea cup. Only when the maid scurried over and gently moved his hand to reach the cup did Byakuya finally snap out of his shock. Gathering himself quickly, Byakuya gave a terse call to a nearby servant, and ordered him to bring him the strongest tea he had in the manor. The man bowed and exited, obviously happy to be removed from such a scene. After another moment, his gaze turned to Rukia.

"I hope you realize," He began, the quiver in his voice betraying his calm exterior, "that I am waiting for an explanation as to you rather haphazard means of informing me about this."

Rukia gave a small gulp, burring her fists into her lap. "Ah... well I should have told you about Renji-kun sooner Nii-sama, I know! But... it was only about two months ago. Renji-kun took me out on this incredible date, and from a penthouse balcony overlooking the city he proposed to me... and I couldn't think of a single reason to refuse him, or why I'd even want to."

Rukia's felt her face heat up; she knew she was blushing at the memory of that night. The look on his face when he knelt down, that mixed look of fear and happiness... all of her feelings, their feelings together-

"May I see the ring?" Byakuya asked suddenly, breaking the silence. Rukia reached into her pocket, withdrawing the small golden band. Byakuya held it gingerly between two fingers, gently moving a finger over the diamond situated at the center top. Byakuya gave a sigh. "I almost wish it were fake..." came a mutter so faint that Rukia doubted she even heard it. He handed it back to his sister, who rather than her pocket, placed it gently on her finger.

"It is well crafted, expensive too. I see that this is no joke then... you really intend to marry this man?" Rukia gave a nod. "Yes, Nii-sama."

"Do you love him?"

The question threw Rukia fully off her guard. She had expected an inquiry to his family, social status, or wealth. If he could provide for her, or if she thought he'd treat her right. Yet for her brother to ask such a question, Rukia wasn't ready.

"I-" she thought about it, really thought about it. Renji had always been there for her, first as a friend, and then as something more. He was the only one who tried to really see who she was, only one other boy had ever gone to that length for her... Just like that, the memories of her teenage lover washed over her. Like Renji, she had felt she could bare her soul to Ichigo. She had given him everything, and then...

He had thrown it all back in her face, Ichigo's parting words to her still smoldered in the back of her mind, troubling her even after ten long years. Even when Renji had proposed to her, all her happiness had been competing with the fear that the cycle was only doomed to repeat. Yet Renji had held her in his arms, whispered into her ear that she was the most important person to him... did she not also return those feelings?

"Yes," She finished, "I do love him."

Byakuya gave a nod. "Very good, then I assume you've already made plans for him to fly in?" Rukia returned the nod with one of her own. "Yes, I figured it'd be best for me to inform you before he arrived. He should be here tomorrow night around 8:00, I was hoping we could pick him up."

Byakuya snapped a finger, and one of the maids hurried over. "Consider it done. Cancel any plans I may have for tomorrow." The maid gave Byakuya a worried look, one he picked up on instantly. "Do not worry, the company will not go under if I take one day off for my sister." Giving a ghost of a smile, the maid bowed and exited, only to be replaced by another servant, who placed a steaming cup of tea before Byakuya.

"You've given me much to think about," Byakuya said, taking a sip of the incredibly strong (Rukia could smell it from across the table) tea, "I would ask that you retire for the night. I have taken the day off tomorrow, so I promise you we can catch up on other matters later." Rukia stood up and gave a small bow. "Alright Nii-sama, good night... and I'm sorry again for doing this to you."

Byakuya gave a small shake of his head. "Put it out of your mind Rukia. Good night."

With that, Rukia was all too happy to flee from her brother's presence.

XxXxX

For the second time that night, the air in the Kurosaki household froze solid. No words were spoken or bodies moved, even the usually caustic Karin didn't dare shatter the tension. As six eyes stared through him, Ichigo couldn't help but feel a little insulted. Sure it was a surprise, but was it that hard to believe that he was engaged?

"Um... so yeah." Ichigo said, franticly trying to break the oppressive silence, "I'm engaged. I'm getting married a week after new years."

There was silence for another few seconds, before a small squeal erupted from Yuzu. "Ichi-nii is engaged, I can't believe it!" She yelled excitedly.

"So what's here name?" Karin asked, raising an eyebrow as if disbelieving his story.

"Ah, well you actually know her. Her name is Inoue Orihime and I-... oh." Crap, he hadn't meant to reveal that yet! He had been so happy to break the silence he spoke without thinking!

"Inoue-chan!" Three voices cried out in unison. Ichigo gave a sigh, what was done was done. "Yeah, Orihime, the one who used to live on this very street."

"You are so lying." Karin said, a hint of sarcasm in her voice, "You're telling me that after having spent ten years away from home, the best excuse you could come up with for wanting to come back was that you were getting married to a girl who used to live on our street? Have some imagination at least, Ichigo"

Ichigo shot his sister a quick glare before turning to address his family as a whole. "Well, believe it. After I left Karakura I decided I wanted to finish High School in Japan before looking for a university in America. However I couldn't find a job that paid enough for everything, and things were looking real bad. That was when Orihime and her brother stepped in. Somehow Orihime had tracked me down, and the two of them supported me as I finished High School. After that I got a scholarship at a university in Chicago... and Orihime went there as well."

"Wait, wait, wait!" Karin interrupted, waving her hands disbelievingly. "I saw Inoue when she came back for holidays, I talked to her! She never even made a mention of you!"

Ichigo gave a small smile. "Yeah, sorry about that. I asked her not to say anything, I told her it would just cause you guys pain if I had to directly turn down an invitation back home."

Karin crossed her arms, giving Ichigo an angry look. "So you got Inoue to lie, great start, Ichigo" She looked like she would continue, but Yuzu leaned across the table, clamping a hand over Karin's mouth, the whole time still staring star-struck up at Ichigo. "Shh, I want to hear!"

Ichigo gave a small sigh. "Anyway... after about a year or so of constantly hanging out together... I guess we kinda started getting along better, if you know what I mean. In our third year we moved in together to save money... and things went from there."

Ichigo looked to his sister for comment, but she still had her twin's hand over her mouth. Isshin just had his mouth open, Ichigo realized he hadn't said a word in minutes, it had to be a new record.

"So after school was ended... we both moved back to Japan and we were just together. It's funny, we had been together for so long... when I finally told her that I loved her, it felt natural." Ichigo said, a smile spreading on his face. "So after saving up enough money, teaching doesn't pay well you see, I proposed. She fainted, but after that she said yes, so it counts, I swear." Ichigo chuckled.

"Teaching?" Karin asked, raising an eyebrow. "We really need to catch up, it seems."

Ichigo nodded. "Yeah we really do. So there you have it, that's why I came back. I figured you deserved to know that I was getting married. Besides-" Ichigo began, taking a sweeping look of the house, "maybe I was just looking for an excuse to come back here."

Yuzu smiled, gave her congratulations to Ichigo, and began clearing the plates. Before she was halfway done though, an until now silent voice rang out.

"So you honestly have no feelings for Rukia-chan any more?"

Ichigo instantly brought himself to match his father's gaze, throwing the old man for a bit of a loop. Gone was the anger, the passionate rage. His eyes were now dulled with years of regret. He looked older, and tired.

It hadn't been easy for Ichigo to leave, he had lost more than just his family. For years Ichigo had thought Rukia was the one, that they were destined to be together. Then disaster blindsided him, and suddenly the woman he had thought would always stand by his side no longer wanted to stand there. He had been angry, and miserable and confused... and Ichigo never wanted to relive that again. In truth, he should have proposed to Orihime much sooner, yet every time he thought about it that night just popped up again and again into his mind. In truth, he had only finally worked up the courage because he was afraid she'd give up on him if he'd waited any longer. He still carried Rukia with him, so many experiences died hard. Still, to say that he had feelings for her-

"No." Ichigo responded evenly, "I've had ten years to come to terms with what happened, and I've moved on. Whatever I once felt for Rukia... it's in the past."

Isshin met his son's gaze, and for a moment Ichigo though that his dad had seen through every lie he had just spouted. Yet a second later gave a sigh, and then cast his son a cocky smile.

"Good, then I'm proud of you Ichigo! I mean after all I've seen Orihime, her breasts are on a whole different level!"

"W-w-wh-what?" Ichigo managed to stammer, fully aware of the glowing blush on his face, before Isshin leaned forward and jabbed his elbow lightly into Ichigo's chest.

"How soft are they, hmm? I've seen those babies, you're a lucky guy to get to have fun with those. The rest of her isn't bad either, you get me? So come on, how is she? Better than Rukia? You can tell your old man, right Ichi-"

Isshin never finished his thought, as Ichigo's flipped the table to connect with his father's face, jumping over the table a moment later to deliver a swift kick to the chest.

"You perverted bastard! I don't care how we're related, talk about my fiancee like that again and I'll send you straight to hell, even if I have to drag you there myself!" He screamed. As her father groaned in pain, Karin gave a sigh. She was happy to see things returning to normal, but perhaps this was still a bit too much...

XxXxX

Rukia put her hand to the side of her bedroom window, slowly pushing it open. A cool breeze washed over her, and Rukia gave a small shiver of delight. Good, her brother's alarm system hadn't been activated yet. She was free to leave.

Rukia knew her brother, even if he felt he had something pressing to tell her, Nii-sama wouldn't bother her until the morning, considering it rude to call on her after sending her to bed. That meant for all intents and purposes, Rukia was alone until morning. Though she still knew she would need to be back before her brother turned the alarm on and shut the gate. Rukia wasn't expecting a long trip though. With luck, she'd be back in an hour.

As much as Rukia had missed her brother, there were other things she wanted to go and see around Karakura. It was late, and she needed to be back within an hour, but Rukia knew one place she could get away with visiting: her old house. Byakuya had been quiet on the subject over dinner, only having said he sold it and leaving it there. Yet Rukia felt that her return wouldn't be complete with a self-tour of the house the three of them used to live in, those five years together as one happy family.

It was just as Rukia put one leg out the window that another cold wind blew across her face, and Rukia realized she didn't have her coat or scarf: both were down in her brother's coat closet. They were the only ones she brought along. For a moment Rukia considered abandoning her adventure, before deciding being cold for an hour or so was worth the visit.

Checking her dresser, Rukia managed to find a small red sweater, which she placed over her blouse. After pulling out a pair of boots from her bags, Rukia slipped quietly out the window, walking to the edge of the first floor roofing and leaping to a nearby tree. Within a few minutes Rukia had cleared the mansion grounds, and found herself walking through the bright lights of the downtown district. Despite having been gone for some time Rukia still knew the bus routes by heart, and in a few minutes she was headed towards West Karakura, regardless of the look she had been shot by the driver, most likely regarding her less than warm clothing.

Rukia stared absentmindedly outside the window, watching the various lights of traffic and buildings fly by her. A few hours ago the city would have been alive with jeering teenagers and busy parents, with children excitedly jumping from window to window gazing at the wonders within the shops. But now, as the first day of December drew towards it's dawn, the streets only held a few cars, and the bus was empty save Rukia and the lone driver. It was a strange feeling: she was in the middle of a huge city, yet she felt alone. That made sense after all, as a teen she had spent most of her time on these streets with Ichi-

Rukia silenced her mind mid though. The orange haired brat kept popping up into her thoughts as of late, a not-so-pleasant effect of being here. Rukia gave a sigh, her warm breath fogging up her window.

The bus dropped Rukia off only a few blocks away from her old neighborhood, and so despite the cold Rukia took the short walk. Karakura City was as complex as any other, yet the locals had basically divided it into four areas. There was North Karakura, home to downtown and many businesses. Next was South, which was stuck between a sprawling industrial park on one side and many commercial businesses on the other. East Karakura was the newest and currently rapidly expanding section, home to many upscale homes, it was on the edge of east and north where her brother lived. However Rukia had grown up in the oldest section of Karakura: the west side. A large mix of first urban then suburban housing, where the majority of citizens in the city lived or had lived at some point. Rukia had lived near the edge of the suburban side, and as she walked closer and closer to it Rukia realized just how much was familiar to her. While downtown had changed and been expanded upon noticeably in the last ten years, the west side was exactly the same, as if frozen in time. So when Rukia finally turned the corner onto her old street, she couldn't help but gasp audibly at how eerie it was, like stepping into her childhood.

As Rukia stepped lightly down the road, she smiled at the warmth that came from each house after another. There were memories no matter where she looked. Orihime's house, where she had often spent the night whenever her brother was on a rampage and she couldn't sneak to Ichigo's. Tatsuki's was next door, she had often sparred with said girl, though never beaten her. There was the electrical box they would always hide behind whenever playing hide and go seek, and the crack in the sidewalk that sent it sloping upward, where they used to do tricks with their bikes or Keigo's skateboard.

As she came upon the next house, Rukia stopped and turned to look at it, any comments stuck in her throat, and her thoughts frozen. It was a simple square building, deceptively small looking despite its large interior, and painted a strangely off white. Over the garage, a large neon sign proclaimed "Karakura Clinic" in bright yellow letters that cut across the night's darkness. It was Ichigo's home... and by the looks of the car in the driveway its old occupants were still around. The windows glowed softly against the cool air around her, and for a moment, Rukia debated saying hello to her old neighbors. Despite her differences with Ichigo, his father had always been a kindhearted man, and his sisters had once been precious to her. Yet the thought was quickly shot down; though Ichigo had left town before she had, there was still a chance of running into him. At best, Isshin would relay to his son that she was back in town, and that may prompt a meeting. Though she didn't think Ichigo would have any desire to see her either, the possibility weighted to heavily on Rukia's mind, and she turned her back to the house, moving further down the block. One house further to be exact, her old home, right next door.

After they had left it seemed nobody had come to claim it, and Rukia found her home in terrible disrepair. The grass grew wildly, and green paint peeled from the walls. Still as Rukia walked forward and put a hand against the door, she found it just as she had left it: her house. It had been a long time, yet even more so than when she had entered her brother's mansion, Rukia felt at home. For a moment, she cherished the feeling.

A minute later Rukia found that despite her growth, she was still more than able to climb the old sakura tree in the backyard, and Rukia found that in all the years nobody had found the spare key she kept hidden on the roof under a tile. Heading back down to the door, she opened the lock and slowly entered, taking it all in.

It was dark, trying to flip the switch did nothing and Rukia realized after so much time the power must have been disconnected. After a few minutes her eyes adjusted however, and for the first time in ten years Rukia saw her home, her true home. It was bare of everything but the most basic of furniture, and dust mixed with cobwebs had encroached mightily on most all of the house. Though Rukia could still remember how it had once looked. She slowly moved from room to room, stopping at each one to take in the memories. The living room, the kitchen, the old bedroom her brother had remodeled to fit a Japanese style. Then there was her room, the smallest bedroom in the house. Walking through it now, Rukia wondered to herself how she had managed to shove a bed, wardrobe, desk and her dozens of chappi possessions into this room. The walls, once a bright buttercup yellow, now peeled and dulled to a muddy brown. A few of the floorboards were loose, and Rukia needed to watch her step. Yet it was still her room, full of her memories. Yet as she turned finally to her window, Rukia became reminded of the memories that were perhaps her most treasured.

The good times with Ichigo.

She stepped gingerly to the window, bracing herself before lifting the old glass up. Her window was much larger than that of a normal bedroom, and outside of it was a large windowsill, still easily able to fit her entire frame. During her youth, Rukia had often come out to stare at the stars, and simply think. The windowsill had always been a place of healing to her. Then Ichigo moved in, and suddenly Rukia found that she had a partner during those late nights, as Ichigo would join her on his equally large windowsill, only a few feet away. Some nights they would talk for hours. Some later nights they would sneak to each others rooms, first as children to play, but eventually as to teenagers, head over heels in love. Yet there were occasions when they would be silent, and simply stare together up at the heavens, wondering together what was up there. No matter the activity, they had spent almost ever night together at those windows. Their little gateways into each others lives.

"Until it all fell apart..." Rukia sighed. She leaned forward to position herself properly on the window, but was halted mid step as she looked up, coming eye to eye with a face leaning out the window on the other side.

XxXxX

Ichigo closed his bedroom door, giving a soft sigh as he flopped down on his bed, rubbing his hands across his weary face. It had been a long night, and while the reuniting with his family had left Ichigo feeling more fulfilled than he had in years, it had still drained almost all of his energy. Between Yuzu's constant prodding, Karin's sarcasm and his father's... well everything, it had taking every excuse in the book just to convince them he needed to retire early, and even then it was only on the promise that he would be up with the sun to talk with them some more.

Ichigo gave a small smile. "I asked for it though, I guess next time I shouldn't wait so long before coming back."

Still it felt good to be back again, and as Ichigo laid on his bed – which was honestly a bit too small for him now – he couldn't help but feel he was... home.

As Ichigo stood up from the bed, he noticed his damp sheets, and realized he was sweating. "Fucking old man, it's hotter than a sauna in here..." Ichigo grumbled. Ichigo walked towards the window, unclasping it and placing a hand against the glass, yet unable to push it. These windows, they meant much more to Ichigo than they appeared to, and suddenly he felt the urge to sit outside again like old times. The urge made him feel guilty: it had only been with Rukia that he had done such things. Still, she was gone, and with any luck would continue to be absent from his life. He didn't need her... never, and definitely not now of all times. And even if a part of him did... he needed to press on without her.

Raising his left hand to the other window, Ichigo pushed the glass panes outward, a cool breeze whipping through his hair and across his face. Ichigo closed his eyes as the cold passed him by, taking in the feeling of his home. Giving a satisfied sigh, Ichigo once again opened his eyes.

And so once again their eyes met, for the first time in 10 years.

XxXxX

**A/N: Not much to say about this one. I'm sorry if it seems a little short, but the next chapters is kinda lengthy and trying to shove elements of it into this one wouldn't have made the chapter ending awkward. I'll give you a small hint: the next chapter coming up is one of my top 5 favorite moments in the story. You'll just have to look forward to it ;)**

**On a side note, I apologize for this being a few days late. Things got a little hectic on me. Luckily all this baby needed was a little editing and it was ready to hit the press. Have a good February all, do something nice for your significant other.**


	3. Chapter 3: Reunion

_Disclaimer: No I don't own bleach. No I don't make any money from doing this. Actually I might lose money doing this, if my boss found out I was working on this during slow work days..._

**Chapter 3: Reunion**

Rukia was frozen, no pun about the cold weather intended. As she stared into his amber eyes, eyes that she had not seen for over ten years, Rukia felt everything that she had tried to ignore flow into her. All her memories, good and bad, burst to the surface in a single instant, and Rukia found she did not have any idea what she wanted to say to him, if anything. A part of her wanted to yell at him, another ignore him. A good portion of her wanted to grab him by the collar and let him fall to the ground in pain. Yet there was a small part that wanted to be even closer to him, and a part that cried for reconciliation. So many desires all at once, and for the life of her Rukia couldn't seem to pick which one was worth it.

Rukia was worried that her silence would up the tension, but Ichigo continued to stare at her as well, eyes unfocused, as if he thought he was looking at a ghost. Finally, after a good minute of this listless staring, Rukia's mind was unfrozen as Ichigo gave a sigh. Sitting down on his window, Ichigo leaned his head back against the frame and closed his eyes, thrusting his left hand up into the air, making a rater rude sign towards the sky. After a good thirty seconds of this, Rukia just had to ask:

"Um... what are you doing?" She called tentatively. Ichigo didn't move his hand – if anything he thrust it up higher – but he did speak. "Flipping off God. Or Buddha, or the Universe, or whatever cosmic forces decided that today, this was going to be fucking Rukia day. It's not enough that my friends remind me of you, or my father, or this whole freaking city are all constant reminders. No, you also have to be in town on the same day, after all this time. Forgive me, but I just feel the need to let somebody know I'm just a tad displeased."

Rukia started to giggle, but caught herself at the last second, bringing a covered hand up to her mouth to stifle the expression. She wasn't supposed to smile wherever Ichigo was involved. Yet his little rant had just reminded her too much of the olden days. He had made her laugh then too, back when they-

"Ichigo we-" Rukia started, but as if sensing her words would only lead to their old song and dance, Ichigo's finger relaxed into an open palm, which Ichigo turned to face his ex-lover. "Though what I'm most displeased about? I ended up meeting you here. So there's nothing I can do." Rukia cocked her head in puzzlement. Ichigo gave a small smile in response. "The rule is still in effect, even after all this time." He said. Ichigo's voice was even, devoid of the heated emotion she had expected from him. For the first time, Ichigo opened his eyes and intentionally looked directly into Rukia's. "You remember, right? So shut up and take a seat."

Left standing stupid, Rukia quickly closed her gaping mouth. She was surprised, both that Ichigo remembered – and still put importance in – such archaic rules, and that he wasn't exploding in her face. How many times had she played out their inevitable reunion in her head? Had there been a single instance where she had not pictured him screaming her ear off? Yet now here he was, asking her to sit with him. Just how much had Ichigo changed in the last ten years?

_Or rather, how little have I?_

Slowly, Rukia lowered herself onto her own window, nestling with some difficulty into her old spot. Yes her window was a tad large, and yes she may had not have... well _grown _much over the years, but she was still a woman now, trying to squeeze into a girl's hiding place. Looking over, Rukia noticed Ichigo had grown by at least a full head, and silently wondered how he looked so natural in his old spot.

When Ichigo said nothing, even after she had settled in, Rukia turned towards the sky. The town of Karakura had much expanded in the last ten years, yet here under the darkened skies of the old suburb the stars still shone with a beautiful radiance. Rukia peaked over at Ichigo to see if he was taking in the same beautiful scene, only to find him staring at _her_. Rukia quickly looked away, yet the carrot-top stubbornly continued his scrutiny of her.

"Um... why are you staring?"

Ichigo blinked, looking up at her face. "I was uh... well-" Ichigo trailed off, turning to look away.

"You've grown, in the last ten years. You're almost not a midget anymore."

A vein pulsed somewhere in Rukia's head, and she gave a small huff, turning away from Ichigo.

"You've changed too. You're _almost _not an ass anymore."

Ichigo smirked, turning his gaze back up to the sky. "You're wrong. I'm still an ass. Yeah... I really am still too much like before..." he trailed off, leaving Rukia confused. She had been expecting another sarcastic remark, not for him to take her jab to heart.

"So indulge my paranoia," Ichigo started, not taking his eyes off the stars, "you didn't _know _I was going to be back in Karakura, did you? I mean I don't think you'd really want to see me, but this just seems a little too coincidental." His gaze shifted, and Ichigo gazed into Rukia's face with one eye. Rukia responded by leaning carefully over the gap, and landing a light smack on Ichigo's head.

"I'm not a stalker, you asshole. Even if I was, I wouldn't be tracking your sorry ass. I came to this old house because this is the first time in years I'm visiting my brother, and I wanted to see how the house was fairing. Trust me, meeting you was quite the unpleasant surprise."

"Ouch," Ichigo chuckled, rubbing the back of his head lightly, "That hurt." Ichigo turned his gaze back to the sky, stretching himself out lazily, though regretting it as he banged his foot into the window frame. Cursing quietly, Ichigo readjusted himself. Rukia watched the whole scene, unmoving, wondering to herself why she was feeling so calm right now.

_Isn't this the man who broke your heart?_

"So what have you been up to all this time? I mean besides hiding from that upstart monster you call a brother?"

Rukia again smacked Ichigo's head again, with a little more force this time, sending his hands up to sooth the wound once more. "Don't call him that, and you already asked a question, it's my turn. What were _you _up to? I can't believe that you've been on your own for ten years, you'd die in a week since nobody would want to help you, with hair like that."

"Right to the freaking hair..." Ichigo quipped, bringing his hands back down to his sides. "Orihime and her brother took care of me through high school, I had a job, but they still paid for the majority of my living expenses. Really... I'm indebted to them." Rukia cocked her head at Ichigo's choice of words. Of course they would have shared much more time together, since it sounded like Ichigo had been all but adopted by the Inoue family, but even so since when had Ichigo started calling Orihime by her first name? And with no honorific no less?

"After that-" Ichigo continued, derailing Rukia's train of thought, "I got a scholarship and went over to America. I studied in Chicago, and got a Bachelor's degree in English Literature. Then I came back here and got a teaching credential... and I've been Kurosaki-sensei ever since."

"You, a teacher? Somehow I'm having a hard time believing that." Rukia grinned nastily. Ichigo threw her a teasing glare. "Well believe it. Everybody's always said I look like a punk, so I'm just using it to my advantage; striking a little fear in the new generation, showing them what respect is." Rukia giggled to herself at the thought of Ichigo smacking teenagers on the head with chalk. "It sounds like you enjoy it." Rukia remarked. Ichigo gave a small smile. "Yeah... I do."

"So what are you doing here, then?" Rukia asked. Ichigo froze during the process of adjusting his leg, turning to face Rukia. For the first time that night, Rukia couldn't read her ex-lover's eyes.

"The truth is I..." Ichigo started, turning his gaze towards his room, "This is the first time I've seen my folks in ten years. I came because there was something important I needed to tell them."

"Important?" Rukia asked timidly, after Ichigo remained silent for a while. Ichigo snapped back to reality, and gave a nod. "Yeah, important. But it's your turn to answer a question. So fess up, where did you run off to? Also if you say America then you are a stalker, no matter your objections."

Rukia shot Ichigo a withering glance in retaliation. "I was in Osaka, you ass. The rest of the Shibas lived down there, and they offered to take me in for awhile. And unlike your freeloading ass I got myself a job at a marketing firm, and paid for my own education."

"The Shibas, huh?" Ichigo said absently, drifting his gaze from Rukia. She in turn felt a lump rise in her throat; she had not planned on mentioning the Shiba family. Then again she hadn't planned on any of this, so-

"They're doing okay you know." Rukia whispered, suddenly feeling a need to comfort him, "Even Ganju-san. Everybody is d-doing fine, even... even without Kaien-senpai."

"Yeah, I'm sure they are. Everybody else is too, after all." Ichigo sighed, turning back to Rukia, a faraway gaze passing through her. "So you're a business woman, huh? Somehow I can see your asshole brother's approval. How do you like it?"

"I-It's great!" Rukia replied, looking for any excuse to cover up her blunder. "I get paid way more than I can hope to spend, I have a nice apartment overlooking the river, my co-workers all really friendly, and then there's Renji-"

Rukia stopped mid-thought, turning away from the carrot-top as panic overtook her face. Crap, twice! That was twice now she had let something so stupid slip to him! What was it about his stupid face that made her just blather on like that?

"Renji, who's that? Boyfriend?" Ichigo inquired, a bit more venom behind his the last word than he had wanted, though Rukia was far too panicked to notice.

"N-Not so fast, buddy!" Rukia almost yelled, pointing her finger at Ichigo. "One question at a time, and it's your turn! Yep, yours! So answer, why are you back in Karakura? What's so important that you had to tell your family in person?"

Ichigo, whom Rukia had noticed had his eyebrow raised during her stuttering inquiries, suddenly turned away, biting his lower lip. For a second concern passed through her: was Ichigo in trouble or something? What could have this snarking asshole so shaken?

"Why I'm back... huh? Yeah, I guess you would have learned eventually... hell now that I think about it, you deserve to know. You most of all, after everything we... well, you know." Ichigo turned back, catching Rukia's gaze so directly it almost made her look away in surprise. "S-so what is it?" Rukia managed to stutter out after he held the gaze for a few seconds.

"I told you that Orihime and her brother helped me through high school, right? Well it doesn't end there. Orihime followed me to America; we went to the same university. I spent four years of my life side-by-side with her... and things just sort of happened. First it was just hanging out together whenever we could, then we moved in together to save money. Everything just snowballed after that, and before we realized what had happened we were... together."

Rukia unintentionally squirmed, a reaction the the butterflies rising up in her stomach. She knew, everything he had just said, she understood the implications of what he was about to say. So he had started a relationship with Orihime? So what, that girl had harbored a crush on Ichigo since their childhood, she even felt a little good for her old friend.

"She... she was always there for me, ya know? It seemed like every time I was in trouble, or I was overwhelmed, or I just quite couldn't do it all by myself, she was right there. Orhime gave me everything... even if sometimes... it was just a shoulder to lean on. She gave me so much, so I decided that I was going to protect her, that I was going to keep her by my side. It's funny, I started getting angry when other guys would ogle her, worried whenever she went out alone. So looked after her and over time... she started help convince me to return."

Yet there was more, Rukia knew it. Ichigo wouldn't have come back just to announce his lover, or because she managed to mend his heart.

"I was so scared, scared that I was misinterpreting all of it. That my feelings were one sided. That even if they weren't... it would all just repeat over again like with us. I felt so stupidly useless, scared like that... but eventually I got up the courage, and as it turned out, for once I wasn't being a stupid kid."

So then here was only one explanation, and even as Ichigo spoke, Rukia already heard the words echo in her heart. She knew he was going to confess to her that:

"Orihime and I... we're getting married."

XxXxX

Byakuya sat atop a simple cushion in his private garden, taking in the feeling of the cold breeze as it blew past his robes. The garden was an elaborate affair, befitting one of his status. Taking up a size that many would consider large enough to fit the average house, Byakuya's garden housed hundreds of exotic flowers and trees from across the planet, each carefully tended to by a dedicated staff, so they would not seem to droop even out of season. Yet despite his exotic selection, Byakuya found the small corner he had dedicated to Japanese flora the most relaxing, especially on such quiet nights as this. He sat beside a small koi pond, the fish finally ceasing their daily dances about one another, settling down now for their rest. It was an utmost tranquility, and for a moment Byakuya resisted his desire to reach out for his tea cup, if only so the moment could last a bit longer. God knew he needed some peace after what his troublesome sister had put him through.

Rukia engaged. Of course, Byakuya had always known this day would come, though with with some better warning, such as meeting the groom. In the morning Byakuya had already blocked out an hour of time to research this "Renji", and by the time he arrived at the airport that night Byakuya would have a good idea of whether or not he would actually be taking his sister's hand in marriage. While it would have been easy to research the man right after dinner, Byakuya banished the thought from his mind. He needed a clear mind when evaluating the man, and right now his mind was anything but clear.

Setting his tea down beside him, Byakuya reached into his robes, withdrawing a worn packet of cigarettes. Smoking had been a habit of his during Byakuya's teenage years, picked up directly from his father. Hisana would have none of it though. It was true that the smoke aggravated her condition, but even beyond that she seemed to take some moral stance against it.

"_Byakuya-sama, you mustn't smoke those nasty things! You'll shorten your life."_

"_Hisana, they simply help to relax me."_

"_Surly there must be other ways for you to relax?"_

"_Yes perhaps... if you would consider dropping your formalities, just here, I would feel more at ease."_

"_...Oh Byakuya."_

"_Come, sit with me."_

Exhaling the smoke, Byakuya drifted away from his memories. Byakuya didn't regret much, in fact he felt that those who carried too much regret often brought destruction upon themselves in the process. Yet if there were two things Byakuya still regretted, it was marrying her too late, and losing her too early. Yes, Byakuya had already lost one of the few people he had ever loved. He did not wish to lose another.

As Byakuya lifted his tea to his lips, a small rapping came from the door at the edge of the garden. Without missing a second, Byakuya beckoned the servant in before taking a sip. The woman approached quickly, dropping into a bow at the edge of the koi pond.

"Kuchiki-sama, it has come to our attention that Kuchiki Rukia has left the premises."

"Yes, I suspected as much."

"Kuchiki-sama?"

"Do not concern yourself with it. Disable the alarm and unlock the front gate, she will be back before I retire, and I will see to resetting the security."

"Yes, Kuchiki-sama."

The moment the servant was gone from the garden Byakuya let out a small sigh. He knew that after Rukia's intense questioning on their old house during dinner, that she would sneak out to take a peek. She always did have a nack for climbing through windows, at least now she wasn't using the skill to climb into another boy's bed. Byakuya cringed at the thought.

"Hisana... I just want your sister to be happy, like you asked. These last ten years I believe she has become her own person, and I am afraid my control over her is coming to a close. Still, I will try my best to guide her in the right direction... just like you did for me."

Byakuya flicked his cigarette butt into the air, and with a sudden gust, it was carried away off in to the night.

XxXxX

She _should _have been happy.

If you think about it, this was perhaps the best thing Rukia could have heard come out of her ex-lover's mouth. The problems plaguing Rukia had been two-fold: guilt over breaking up with Ichigo, and the worry that buried under all her tangled emotions, she still might harbor some love for him. His confession in itself should have cleared Rukia of her guilt. Yes they had experienced a messy break up, but in the end Ichigo had been able to move on and find somebody else. Her second problem was cleared up to, because she cared for Orihime's obvious feelings far more than her own possible ones. On paper, she should have reached over, congratulated him, and left her guilt behind her. She should have been able to announce her own engagement, and marry the man she loved guilt free. Yes, this news should have been music to Rukia's ears.

So then... what was this feeling rising in her stomach? Why was it that she could only sit there paralyzed, her unblinking stare of amazement aimed squarely at Ichigo? She couldn't even hide her shock, she only dimly hoped that he only thought of it as sheer amazement, that those perceptive eyes of his didn't dig any deeper into her face. Ichigo seemed a little shaken himself, as though he had expected a punch to the face right after saying it. Yet despite this he was the first to recover and after the silence he raised an eyebrow.

"Is it really that shocking? You could at least say something, you know."

His voice suddenly rebooted Rukia's mind, and instantly she tore her eyes away from the boy. Rukia took a single deep breath, gathering herself before facing Ichigo once again. She could deal with her rebellious emotions later, right now she needed to play it cool.

"T-That's great!" Rukia said, forcing a smile onto her face. "I'm... I'm happy for you. Orihime-chan too, she must be feeling amazing. You know that she's liked you since before us... right?"

Ichigo gave a small nod, turning away from Rukia. "Yeah, she told me that after I proposed... I guess I never noticed. I really am an ass, aren't I? I never think about others, only myself. Even now, with Orihime so happy, oh you should see her, it's like... like every step she takes is this joyful skip. She seems so sure that all of it is right... but all I can think about is whether or not I'm doing the right thing. I just... I-!" At this Ichigo turned back to Rukia, and his look made her withdraw. For the first time the light had dimmed in Ichigo's eyes, and suddenly he reminded her of the small eight year old boy, crying on his bed over the death of his mother. He was almost begging her, seeking affirmation for his actions. Yet who was she to give such a thing?

It was a that moment that the bloated sky could hold no more, and all at once, a wall of snow fell down upon the town. Both of their stares broke, and as one they looked up into the clouded sky as millions of snowflakes fell around them.

"Snow..." Ichigo said, barely louder than a whisper. Rukia gave a small nod. She had missed it, the snow. Only rarely would it snow in Osaka, and even then it barely stuck to the ground, evaporating before she could even catch it. Mindlessly, she lifted up her hand, and caught one of the lazy flakes in her palm. Somehow, it felt like a homecoming.

"About time too." Ichigo mused, checking his watch, "I thought I'd start when I got off the train, and it's already freaking one in the morning." Rukia gave a nod in concurrence, before Ichigo's words processed and without warning she shot upright, surprising Ichigo and sending him crashing to his bedroom floor.

"What time is it!" She yelled at the boy, rather oddly since she herself had a phone she could have checked the time on. Despite this the boy rose slowly to his feet, rubbing his head gently. "Damn midget, it's a little after one. Didn't have to go and scare me-"

The rest of Ichigo's complaints were drowned out as Rukia frantically pulled out her phone to cross-check. Sure enough, 1:03. Bad! She was supposed to be back before Nii-sama retired and locked the gate, there was no doubt she was already too late to escape the eyes of his security on her way back in. Not only that; the buses only ran so late, and if she missed those than it would take her hours to-"

"I take it," Ichigo interrupted, "you need to get going?" Rukia froze in her madness, and looked up at him. He was staring at her with an uneasy smile on his face, and Rukia realized that she wished she had more time to spend talking like this. All those years she had dreaded seeing Ichigo had been based on fear of his reaction to seeing her, yet only after their amiable chat did she understand how much she missed his company.

It had been nice, spending a few hours out on these old windows with him again.

"Yeah, I kind of snuck away from Nii-sama, and if I don't hurry... well he might not be too happy with me."

Ichigo gave a sigh. "I always hated that guy..." Ignoring Rukia's stare of disdain, Ichigo's attention turned instead to her clothing. "You're going to go out this late in that?"

Rukia gave a frown, fixing the sweater she had draped over herself. "All my cloths were downstairs, alright? This was all I had on me. It's fine, once I get on the bus I won't be cold."

"I swear, some things never change. Wait here a minute." Ichigo almost chided, turning his back to her. Rukia watched curiously as Ichigo rummaged through his dresser, swearing a few times before snapping his fingers and removing two dusty articles of clothing. Both in hand, Ichigo walked back to the window. "Right, look out."

"Wha-?" Before Rukia even had a chance to react his foot was up on the sill, and in a fluid movement only executable by years of muscle memory, he easily bounded between, landing smartly in the center of Rukia's old room. Ignoring the shocked girl for a moment, Ichigo took a small look around.

"Man, it's really gone to shit in here, huh?" Shrugging dismissively, he turned again to Rukia, holding out to her an old winter coat, still a bit dusty from sitting in a draw for almost a decade. It wasn't until Rukia began putting it on that she realized it was one of hers.

"You left it in my room, when we were... packing. This too." Just as she had eased her other arm through the sleeve Ichigo had grasped the girl by the shoulders and spun her facing a way from him. She opened her mouth to protest, when it was covered by a yellow fabric. It took her a moment: Ichigo was putting a scarf on her. She turned her head to face him, finding a half smile on his face. "You always had trouble getting these on tight, right? Don't move."

"_Grr..."_

"_Hurry up! Tatsuki and Inoue-san are already out, Keigo too! At the rate you're going the snow will have melted!"_

"_Shut up, fire head, I'm trying to get this stupid scarf on!"_

"_A scarf! For the love of... dumb midget. Look alive."_

"_Wha-? Ah! Don't just jump into my room! Brute! Pervert!_

"_Just shut up you ungrateful midget, I wanna go out already. Now hold still for a minute... there. Is it on right?"_

"_Y-Yes."_

"_Good, now let's go. Or you don't need help lacing your boots, too?"_

"_Asshole!"_

"Wow, I'm surprised you still fit into these old things," Ichigo remarked casually, bring Rukia crashing to the present, "Guess you didn't grow as much as I had thought huh?"

Rather than dignify such a foolish remark, Rukia instead rewarded Ichigo with a well aimed elbow to the ribs. With a sudden yelp, he fell back to his knees, clutching his side.

"Gah, dammit you violent... that spot still hurts, you know?"

"You knew it was coming the moment you chose to open that big mouth."

"Hah... I guess I did, heh, hahaha!"

Ichigo laughed to himself for a bit, eventually collecting himself in the process. Then his laughter was gone, and after a moment dropped his grin. "You know... I'm still really, really mad at you."

Rukia's smile faded just as quickly, and for a moment all her nightmares came back to her. She took a step back, but caught herself. Running now would solve nothing. She had come this far... right?

"Yeah, I'm really mad. I figured that, marrying Orihime, and after a decade... but it's no good. Even now I just have this seething urge to just scream at you."

Summoning her courage, Rukia looked up at Ichigo. She didn't doubt his words, yet there was something amiss. A question that had been plaguing her all this time: "Then why are we here, like this again?" She asked, not a single quiver in her voice. He seemed taken back by her suddenness, and for a moment he looked away in uncertainty.

"I don't know really I... I just felt like keeping an old promise." With that Ichigo walked past Rukia, jumping up onto her window. Just as he was about to cross the gap he paused.

"If we meet out there, I'm going to let you have it. There are still some things we need to settle."

He hadn't turned his head to look at her, yet Rukia still gave a small nod. "Yes, I know."

"But maybe, just maybe. If you showed up here again I'd..." Ichigo looked back now, catching her eye. "I'd consider keeping our promise again. Maybe. If I'm in a good mood."

Before she could respond to Ichigo's bewildering declaration, the boy had nimbly landed back in his own room, and turning on his heel he grabbed the window to close it. Yet just before, his mumbled words carried softly across the small chasm between them.

"Good night, Rukia."

Ichigo shut his window, and she was silent for a moment, but then Rukia gave a small smile under her tightened scarf.

"Good night, Ichigo."

Rukia turned to descend back down through her house and then home, much happier than she had planned on.

XxXxX

Ichigo locked his window down, and with lethargic steps shuffled to his bed and fell upon it. Only after a full minute passed did he grab one of his pillows and chuck it forcefully across the room, narrowly missing his desk lamp.

"Dammit, what the hell am I doing? Being nice to the girl who dumped my ass... I must be getting soft... fuck."

Sighing, Ichigo passed a weary hand across his face. It seemed like nothing was going his way today. All he wanted was a little nostalgia, and to see his family again. Instead it was Rukia this, Rukia that. To top it off, not only did he actually meet her again, but he was nice to her. How long had he been waiting to let her have it? How many times had he imagined just a scenario, and planned out exactly in minute detail just what he would say to her? A decade of work had just shattered before him.

Yet he couldn't have helped it. She had just looked so... she was different yes, but at the same time she hadn't changed at all. That look of surprise on her face, that little gasp she had made... it was impossible for him to resist such gestures. That had always been his weakness, she was too cute for her own good. Then they talked, and Ichigo realized just how much he had missed it. How much he had missed her. Sitting there under the snow, Ichigo had forgotten that woman was the same Rukia who had broken his heart.

He had forgotten that he hated her.

"And that's what pisses me off!" Ichigo shouted, slamming a fist into the wall. "After all this time, I can't just let it go because she has a pretty face! Why. Am. I. So. Stupid!" The wall shook as he punctuated each word with a punch finally coming to a halt as Ichigo's fist rested gently against the cracked dry wall, his hand sliding slowly down to rest on the bed. After a moment, his hands moved again, coming up to cover his face in the darkness.

"_I'd consider... keeping our promise again."_

"What the hell am I doing to myself?"

"Ichigo, you in there?"

A light knocking at the door broke Ichigo from his stupor, and after check his reflection in the window and shoving his now obviously injured hand into his pocket, Ichigo slowly opened the door, finding Karin standing opposite.

"Hey Karin. What's up?" Ichigo asked, trying to adopt a nonchalant tone. Karin was silent for a minute, staring at Ichigo with an unreadable expression. Then in an instant, an eyebrow shot skyward. "Well, I was going to ask you why you've been punching the wall so hard, but now I'm more interested in why you've been crying."

_Crap!_

"I haven't been crying, Karin." Ichigo said simply.

"Your eyes are red." Karin replied in turn.

"I'm just tired." Ichigo snapped, making a deliberate effort to turn away from his sister before vigorously rubbing his eyes. Karin followed Ichigo into his room, leaning against the door frame.

"I heard voices. Were you talking to yourself? I guess you upset yourself enough to cry and beat the wall down?" Karin quipped, barbs of sarcasm prodding under Ichigo's skin. His irritation rising, Ichigo gave an indignant snort.

"What the hell do you want, Karin?"

Again she was silent for awhile, before walking over to join Ichigo at the window. For a minute or so she stared out silently, looking out to Rukia's old room. Then, she turned to her elder brother.

"Ichigo, are you serious about marrying Orihime?"

Ichigo gave a deep sigh. "First the old man, now you. No Karin, I lived with her for years, proposed, and came back here to get married all without actually planning to follow through. It's all been an elaborate ruse."

Karin's hand shot out, and a second later Ichigo had been pulled by the collar down to meet his sister's angry stare. When had she crossed the room to him?

"Drop the sarcasm Ichigo, it never was all that charming. I'm asking you a question. Are you serious about marrying Orihime? Really serious, because from where I'm standing it really doesn't seem that way."

"And how-" Ichigo began slowly, "does it seem to you?" he finished, matching his sister's stare. In truth, Ichigo was about at his boiling point. Usually he'd be much more tolerant, but the combination of his previous mishap with Rukia and now Karin's anger, Ichigo had just about had it. Maybe that translated to Karin, or maybe she was just fed up with trying to get her point across. For whatever reason she let her grip slip away, and shaking her head slowly she turned back towards the hall.

"Fine, I won't force the issue like dad. I just hope you get your shit sorted out before Orihime gets here, for all our sakes. In case you forgot, I hate dealing with other peoples' drama." With that, she closed the door, leaving Ichigo confused and alone in his darkened room.

XxXxX

**Author's Corner**

** A small little editorial feature I've decided to include in this story, are my Author's Corner sections. These sections peppered throughout the story are, rather than my little author note quips, longer and more detailed commentary on the story itself, highlighting certain key points or stylistic choices used and why they were used that way. If you want to skip them, feel free. However I thought I'd add this in for those few who might be interested. Today's topic, is that of the windows our beloved protagonists were chatting on. **

**The idea behind Ichigo and Rukia having a sort of sacred ground between their windows is an idea that predates this fic by about a year. Original I had in the works a story about Ichigo growing up from child to high school graduate, all the while he could see ghosts like in the show. Rukia was his next door neighbor, but was very sick and could never leave the house. However they spent all their free time talking to one another from their windows. It would have turned out, you see, that Rukia was in fact a ghost, and that she lingered because her strongest wish hadn't been fulfilled. Cue tragic story about falling in love and ultimately letting go. **

**This idea was scrapped for various reasons, but I still wanted to keep the idea of this sacred ground. I'm not sure if I'm unique in this, but I've always had that one "special place" that's all my own. For me, I would remove the screen from my window and sit out on the roof over the garage at night, so I could look up at the stars and just think. I never thought about bad things there, it was like my happy place, if you will. The idea in this story is that Ichigo and Rukia both had this "happy place" but since they were in such proximity to one another the spaces sort of merge into "their happy place". I'm sure many people were rather taken aback by how calmly Ichigo and Rukia managed to talk after two chapters of build up over their problems, but to be a pretentious author for a moment, that was the point. I was trying to drive the point home that this place is so special, so unique, so sacred to these two that even in the face of ten years of dysfunction, they're willing to sit down in it and pretend like they're teenagers in love again. I'm not sure how well I was able to communicate that, as I am after all only a hobbyist writer with the most basic English literature education.**

**This space between the windows will of course play a pivotal role in the events to come in this story, since it serves as a sort of neutral ground where Ichigo and Rukia can talk civilly. Hopefully when the time comes again, I can keep up to those words.**

**I'd like to extend my most heartfelt thanks to Sushi, who took her time to look over the majority of this chapter and give me some much appreciated feedback. Everybody give her you thanks, since she also gave me the motivation to write the majority of Chapter 4, too.**

**Chapter 4 will be up in April, but it might be a bit later than previous chapters. After going over it a few times and feeling unhappy with the sequence of events, I decided to do a major overhaul, which may push it back depending on how busy I get. Still, I hope you look forward to it.**


	4. Chapter 4: Ichigo

Chapter Four: Ichigo

A dull buzzing sounded from his alarm clock, but Ichigo didn't raise his hand to turn it off. It wasn't because he was asleep, in fact he hadn't slept the whole night. Ichigo was lost in though, and the dull buzzing of his alarm just wasn't quite piercing enough to force it's way into his brain.

"Ichigo, it's five in the morning! Turn of that damn alarm clock so I can sleep or I'm going to throw it out the window!"

The sound of his sister's voice, however, was. Absently lifting his arm, Ichigo slammed it down on the snooze. Assuming that a grateful Karin had just returned to her bed for one more sweet hour of rest, Ichigo slowly lifted himself from the bed. Upon sitting up he was assaulted by a splitting headache, a painful reminder straight from his body that he had gotten zero sleep over the last four hours. Ichigo gave a sigh. It didn't matter, he had a lot of things to take care of today. Ichigo dressed in silence, not even bothering to take a shower, despite the fact that he hadn't done so for two days now. Ichigo had limited time, and in truth he didn't want his family to know he was going out for a small errand. His father in particular had been very adamant about not letting Ichigo leave until that had caught up enough that the old man was satisfied. This was just too important however, to be left up to his father's musings.

Grabbing his keys and wallet, Ichigo quietly tiptoed out into the hall, and carefully opened the door to Karin's room on the off chance she had decided to wake up with the noise. No such misfortune, she was sleeping peacefully. Seeing Karin there, sleeping quietly, reminded Ichigo of the days when he used to tuck her and Yuzu in.

Satisfied that he would not be noticed, Ichigo made his way downstairs, taking a quick detour into the kitchen to grab an apple. A detour, Ichigo cursed, which led him directly into his father. Isshin sat quietly at the table, typing softly on a small laptop. He didn't even look up to acknowledge his son's existence, however he did pick up an apple from the bowl on the table and throw it directly at his son's head.

"Ah, violent bastard!" Ichigo whisper-screamed, barely catching the apple, "what was that for!" Isshin didn't even look up.

"Good reflexes, glad to see all my lessons didn't go to waste." Finally Isshin looked up, catching his son square in the eye. "Apparently the important ones did though, like listening to your father. I thought I told you no leaving the house until we've caught up."

Ichigo gave a sigh, walking over to the sink to wash the apple off carefully. "I'm not leaving town, idiot. I just... there's a place I want to visit."

"And that would be?"

"The cemetery."

Ichigo continued to wash his apple off, somewhat unnerved by the silence of his father. Just as he finished and moved to turn, a hand clamped strongly on his back. "Yeah, I figured you would. I called ahead yesterday, so even at this hour you shouldn't have to hop the fence."

Ichigo smiled, just a little, before wiping the emotions from his face and turning around. "Huh, I guess you are good for some things, old man."

Isshin just flashed a smirk. "You don't know the half of 'em."

"What would you have done if I said I was going elsewhere?"

"Hit you. Hard."

Ichigo gave a small laugh. "Yeah, I guessed as much... thanks dad."

As Ichigo exited the front door a cold breeze passed through him, chilling him down to the bone. A small layer of snow covered the ground, a few grass blades managing to poke through the pure white sheet. Ichigo gave a shiver, his coat was a little thin for this weather. Gritting his teeth, Ichigo made his way into the morning fog, shoes crunching lightly against the freshly fallen snow.

He hadn't even made it ten feet off his property when the honking of a nearby car sent him crashing into the snow in surprise.

"Hey, is that you Ichigo!"

Picking himself up from the snow, grumbling at the soaked state of his clothing, Ichigo found himself staring down perhaps the most beat up car he had ever laid eyes on. A boxy affair from the early 90's, it seemed that every part of the surface displayed some imperfection: chipped red paint, scratches or dents of all sizes. Wondering who could bear to drive such an eyesore, he moved to the driver's seat and instantly got his answer.

"Hey there Keigo, long time no see. You haven't changed much." Ichigo said, a grin forming despite himself. Stepping out into the street, the man rounded the car in a heartbeat, attempting to land a solid punch on Ichigo's stomach. Ichigo twisted at the last second, grabbing the arm and flinging his old friend headfirst into a nearby snowbank. A string of curses pierced the white fog around them.

"Dammit Ichigo, help me up!" Keigo cried, trying desperately to dislodge himself from the heap. Giving a small sigh of pity, Ichigo grabbed his friend by the foot and gave a strong tug, sending him onto the sidewalk face first.

"Ow, ow, ow!" Keigo cried, jumping up to nurse his head. "That's tender, you know? I got a little drunk last night and this girl... ah, what the hell am I doing rambling! Ichigo! Mizuro texted me last night that you were back, but I didn't believe that bastard after that incident two weeks ago when he said she was a-, gah, rambling! Again! Ichigo~! What are you doing back in town? Finally miss us enough to visit! Took you long enough you asshole, I must have been missing you for like ten years! What are you up to! Where were you! When did you get that freaking tall! Why is your hair still orange! Wha-"

Ichigo landed another, much harder punch to Keigo's tender skull, shutting him up instantly and sending him down into the pavement. "Nope, not at all. How you been doing?" Keigo stood up unsteadily, casting Ichigo a grin.

"You haven't changed, I still see my life flash before my eyes every time I greet you. Ah well, such is life. Me I've been doing fine, but nobody cares about how I've been doing. We all want to know how you've been. You were gone for ten years, man."

Ichigo opened his mouth to answer, when a though struck him. Checking his phone, Ichigo grimaced.

"Hey Keigo... I'm sorry, but I really gotta be somewhere. Can we do this later tonight? Drinks?"

Keigo shook his head, walking back to his car. "Just hop in, I'll give you a ride, provided you aren't taking me too far out of the way."

Ichigo tentatively stepped into the rickety beast, rather afraid it would collapse under their combined weight. However the old girl seemed to hold firm. "Where to?" Keigo asked, coaxing the car to start.

"The cemetery."

"Good to see you're still as cheery as ever." Keigo quipped, switching the heat on as his car sputtered to life. Ichigo said nothing, but secretly he was grateful for the gesture. "Right, no more getting out of it then. Where were you?" Keigo restated. Ichigo gave a sigh. "Yeah, sorry. I just feel like I'm telling the same story to about a million people, you know? I was in America, getting a degree. I'm a teacher now, working near Tokyo."

"Huh, gotta say that was pretty far from what I was guessing." Keigo mused, cursing softly as a rather expensive looking sport car cut him off. "Really, I'm glad to see you alive and well. Still, it was pretty shitty of you to just up and leave without telling any of us. You don't know how deeply you wounded me!" Ichigo burst out laughing, scaring Keigo momentarily who swerved left before correcting himself.

"You seem to be managing." Ichigo said, trying to cease his laughter. "Even if your car is a piece of shit."

"Hey, hey! No harsh words for the old girl, okay? She's gotten me to every job I've worked for the last seven years. Got her for free from the scrapyard, can you believe somebody was just going to throw this out?"

"Really? Some people, I swear." Ichigo said snidely. "So humor me, Mizuro said you've been doing all sorts of stuff. What're you up to?"

Keigo gave a small shrug, "pretty much anything I can. Construction, office work, maintenance, civil services... really I do anything around here that needs doing. I never graduated high school... just didn't see the point, so I figured I'd just float around here, ya know? I get by, better than Mizuro likes to say I do, any how. I kind of have a reputation now: the guy who'll do any job, no matter how messy."

"That sounds... dangerous." Ichigo decided after some thought, "and in more ways than one."

"Not really, I actually get mostly mundane stuff. Like now, I'm clearing snow from the streets. You'd be surprised how much these suckers will pay to have me drive a truck down the street."

"Right! So, you know where I am! What about you? Why the hell are you back here?" Keigo probed, turning to look at Ichigo as he eased the car into a parking spot beside the cemetery gates. Ichigo gave a small sigh before opening the side door.

"Can't tell you that just yet, now can I? Thanks for the ride man, we need to meet up sometime."

"Che, stingy bastard. Fine then, tonight with Mizuro too. It'll be the first time we drink together."

Ichigo raised an eyebrow, "no it won't."

Keigo gave a small chuckle, "legally."

Waving goodbye, Keigo drove along on his way. Ichigo lingered for a moment, watching the car vanish into the fog. Once it had fully vanished, Ichigo let out a laugh.

"He's still such an idiot."

Turning to his destination, Ichigo walked past the unlocked gates, treading slowly along the simply stone path before him, snow covered grave stones lined on either side of him. "Thanks for those laughs Keigo."

Suddenly turning to the left, Ichigo passed the first two gravestones, stopping at the third off the path. Leaning down, he gently brushed the snow from the gravestone, unmasking the name engraved upon it.

"Hey mom, I'm here, like I promised. I know I've talked to you a lot over the last ten years, but I just felt like I needed this. It's the least I could do, after everything you helped me though. I'm really indebted to you."

"I've been wondering, you know, what you'd say if you saw me now. Even after leaving you for ten years... would you have smiled at me like nothing had ever happened? Would you have congratulated me on my engagement?"

Ichigo sat down before the grave, sitting in silence for a few minutes. There was almost no wind, and as the white fog and snow rolled around him, Ichigo felt like he finally had his peace. Here he was, just him and his mother.

"I've only been back a day, and already I'm wondering how I ever got along by myself. It seems like only yesterday that I was cursing this town and everybody in it... now I'm back and the only things I see are friendly faces. I'd like to say that it makes me regret running away... but I guess that would be a lie, wouldn't it?" Ichigo said softly, tracing the letters along his mother's gravestone. "It was because I left that I was finally able to stand up for myself... or at least, stand up with Orihime's help." Ichigo's breath caught: his finger had reached the bottom of the grave, where each of his family had written a small, personal goodbye to their mother.

"I'm getting married to her, you know." Ichigo continued quietly, "to Orihime, the weird girl who used to hang out with Tatsuki and blush all the time. Honestly I'm happy... Orihime has made the last few years of my life feel like some kind of wonderful dream... che, listen to me, I'm getting too soft. The truth is though I really am happy... but I'm scared to. Ever since I proposed I've been second guessing myself at every turn. I keep wondering if this is the best thing for her, for me, for all of this. I keep turning these ideas over and over again in my head, and I... I really wish you were here right now. You always used to have an answer for everything, and I could really use that right now."

Giving a sigh, Ichigo leaned back. In truth, he wasn't quite sure why he was pouring his heart out to a slab of rock. His mother wasn't here, and even if she was, she wouldn't be able to comfort him. This whole thing was so stupid, yet-

"I talked to Rukia last night." Ichigo said absently, continuing his monologue despite his raging thoughts, "it helped me realize how stupid I've been lately. All this indecision needs to end, right now. I'm getting married, and becoming an adult. You see mom, I thought that if I ran away, that I could grow up in some faraway place. That when I returned, I'd be an adult." Ichigo passed a hand through his hair, letting it come to rest on the back of his head. "The stupid logic of a child. People don't run away to grow up... they frigging run away to stay children. That's why I'm so indecisive, I'm still a fucking kid. Now I'm back though, and everything I left here is still waiting for me. If I face all that... will I finally become an adult, mom? Will I finally feel worthy enough to marry the girl I love?"

Brushing off his clothing, Ichigo stood up, looking down at the grave one last time. "I have one more person to talk to, to ramble at like a child. After that... I promise to make you proud. You always told me that men don't cry, and I've lived up to that every day these past ten years. But now... it's okay right?" Ichigo gave a sigh, pulling out a small photograph from his wallet. Gingerly, he leaned down, resting it into a depression at the foot of the grave, meant perhaps for flowers. "I'm going to become the man you always said I could be. I'm going to make you proud, otherwise I don't think I could ever face you in the afterlife."

Turning, Ichigo wandered into the fog, back into the expanse of gravestones before him.

"I love you."

XxXxX

_Kaien Shiba_

_1983-2001_

Ichigo pulled his hand away from the cold stone, staring silently at the simple, carved words. His mother's grave had been a very elaborate affair, four feet high and carved of marble, with a small message from each of the family members. This grave was very spartan in comparison. A simple granite headstone, yet standing strong in the frozen garden. Simple yet powerful, Kaien would have liked that.

"Yo." Ichigo said, sitting down before this grave as he had the last, "and don't bother, I can here you already. 'What the hell Kurosaki, why did I have to wait this long to see your mug around here!' Heh, I'm sorry about that, I wasn't in a good state during your funeral. Then I ran away like some stupid kid. I bet you'd have beaten the shit out of me." Ichigo chuckled, shifting himself into a more comfortable position. "This is the first time I've been in town in ten years, can you believe that? I can't help but feel all this nostalgia... and now that I'm here, I'm remembering the old days. Didn't matter that you were my senpai, in the eyes of the others we were twins. Same face, same height, same attitude... the only difference was our hair. Always with the fucking hair, god" Ichigo lamented.

"But I wanted to be better, and I'm sure you did too. Do you remember all our competitions? Who could do the most tricks on Keigo's skateboard before one of us ate it. Who could get the better grades on the next placement test. Who could win in an all out fist fight.. though I think Tatsuki ended up winning that, even though she wasn't part of the contest!" Ichigo laughed harder, reveling in memories of the old days. After it had passed, he looked up again.

"We hated how similar we were; we needed to establish superiority. 'Rivals first and friends second', I still remember the pact we made. You and I, we were going to compete for the rest of our lives, right? Who got into the best university, who got married first, who had a son first, and who's son could kick the others ass. Who could retire the fastest, with the biggest fortune, and who would... who would die the oldest." Ichigo ended, his words cutting off in a harsh whisper. Tears welled up in Ichigo's eyes, he curled up slightly, pressing his fingers to his eyes.

"I really wish, I hadn't won that one."

Ichigo sat there for a time in the snow, silently crying to himself, bitter tears of a friend lost to soon. All of this, everything wasn't fair. He should have been able to invite Kaien out for drinks tonight with the rest of his friends, not have to sit here in front of his grave. It was just so-

"In the end though I guess we were alike, down to our reactions, eh? I remember after Rukia told me what happened to Miyako-san... I spent the whole night ripping apart downtown, looking for that bastard. I was angry, and really I didn't even expect to find the son of a bitch. What I really didn't expect though was to find the both of you... and to see that you had already killed each other."

In a sudden burst of anger, Ichigo crashed his fist into the stone before him. "You stupid bastard! Do you think Miyako-san would have wanted that! Why the hell didn't you ask me to help you! We could've taken him together, we could've killed the bastard and you... and you wouldn't have had to die in the process." Ichigo withdrew his fist, feeling rather guilty for having just punched a gravestone. It ached slightly, and so he let it fall into the snow.

"Truth is... after you died I just couldn't take this place anymore. You and Miyako-san were gone, and you family left town... yet everybody just went on as if you had never been there. As if your existences hadn't meant fucking anything. So I decided then, that I was going to leave this shitty fucking town. Only Rukia was-" Ichigo cut off there, unwilling to bring up such a painful memory.

"Sorry," Ichigo called softly, running a weary hand through his hair, "one of the nicest girls in the world gets-, gets... and in some fucking back alley no less, and then you end up getting killed just for trying to avenge your girl? Things like that... something should have stopped it. God, the universe, the fucking police! Should've... something should've intervened. Right?"

Ichigo received no answer to his question. As the sun began to rise higher above the horizon behind the endless expanse of clouds above, the white fog around Ichigo began to split away, though the snow fell just as strong. Sighing, Ichigo climbed to his feet.

"Anyway, sorry about all that. You die, and have to listen to me bitch for lord knows how long. I just wanted to come by... and to tell you that you lost our bet. Not to rub it in your face or anything... just though you'd want to know."

Ichigo turned to the grave beside Kaien's, giving a small smile. "Sorry Miyako-san, I didn't really get know you all that much outside of Kaien. Still, I heard you were the one who convinced Rukia to give that brother of her's the finger. You were always cheerful, but forceful too. Both of you were like that, that's why I liked you both so much." Sighing, Ichigo finally turned away, heading back towards the gates.

"I had decided long before coming back that I needed to face this place to face Orihime properly. Rukia confirmed it for me too, I'm not going to gain anything by just standing still, afraid of everything that happened before I left. So I'm moving on... I'm sorry."

Ichigo's whispered words were lost in the growing wind, and silently, Ichigo made his way back home under the softly falling snow.

XxXxX

The clock ticked 6am, and right on cue Ichigo opened the front door, wiping the water from his snow-covered shoes. That done he looked up, only to find Isshin leaning against the wall, looking down the s a small smile.

"You're back quicker than I thought, didn't have anything to say?" Isshin inquired. Ichigo shrugged.

"I got an unexpected ride... not that I had much to say anyway. I feel stupid: talking to a slab of stone. I said what I had to, and that's that." Standing up, Ichigo brushed past his old man, ascending the stairs to change into less wet clothing. Just as he ascended the final stair however, Isshin's voice called out again: "You know I talked to Ganju-san. She's rather angry you haven't come to visit her family after all this time." Isshin said, a hint of iron in his voice. Ichigo paused, for a moment, before continuing up.

"I'm going back to bed. Wake me when the girls are back from school: we can talk then" was Ichigo's only response to his father.

"Stubborn pup." Isshin lamented quietly.

XxXxX

Though Ichigo finally was able to catch perhaps an hour of sleep, it was rather short lived. Before he knew it there was a pounding on his door, and Ichigo was back downstairs, staring down his family. Ichigo's question of why the girls weren't in school was quickly shot down; Isshin claimed that talking with their brother was far more important than missing a day of classes. Ichigo didn't object further: if Yuzu had no objections to skipping school, than this was not a fight he was going to win. So then-

"Where do you want me to start?" Ichigo asked, taking a sip of coffee in hope the caffeine would clear his throbbing head. So far it wasn't working.

"How about the beginning?" Karin quipped, raising an eyebrow at her brother. "For example: why you left in the first place?"

Ichigo gave a sigh, he had known this question was going to come up sooner or later.

"It was a lot of things," Ichigo said, pausing to take another sip. "Some of it was Rukia. Some of it was Kaien. Some of it was being a stupid teenager. Regardless, I was pissed off at everybody and wanted to get away from them. Good enough?"

Karin opened up her mouth to state that it was in fact not enough, when a hand rested on her shoulder. Looking over, she found her father giving her a soft smile. With a shake of his head, Karin gave a sigh and leaned back in her chair, dropping the subject.

"So then where did you go, Ichi-ni?" Yuzu continued, "And how did Inoue-chan find you?"

"I went up north, to Niigata. I was kind of a mess back then: I was working three part time jobs just to scrap up enough money to finish school. I'd go to school, then immediately I'd work till about four in the morning. If Orihime hadn't found me... heh, I'd probably be dead, or at least crazy by now." Ichigo chuckled to himself. "As for how she found me? Not a frigging clue. But there she was on my doorstep one day. After seeing the state I was in, she offered to support me. Heh, there I go again, 'offer' is too light a word. She practically ordered it. You'd be surprised how forceful Orihime can be when she needs to be, I swear."

"I still kept a job though of course, but with Orihime paying for school I could actually focus on it. So I decided: if Orihime and her brother are going to put me through school, then I'm going to do as well as I freaking can, ya know? Before I know it, I've got a scholarship offer over in America. So I figured what the hell, my English is pretty good. So I accepted. I told Orihime about it, and a week later she tells me she's going to the same place."

"But you hadn't hooked up with her yet?" Karin asked snidely, "Are you really that dense?"

Ichigo shot his sister a dirty look before continuing. "I had a lot on my mind, alright? Even if I had noticed her intentions I... I don't think I would have been ready to accept them yet." Ichigo trailed off. Ichigo stood up to refill his mug, turning his back to his family.

"I was still devastated over Rukia. Heh, I'm really pathetic, eh? All that time, and I was still obsessed over the girl who dumped my ass over nothing. I hated myself for still having those damn feelings, but I really couldn't do much about it. I just wanted to get far away from everything, as far as I could. America seemed like a pretty good stint."

Turning and sitting back down, Ichigo flashed his family a smile. "Needless to say, once I had my space I got over it all pretty quickly. Eventually we started dating, and got a place together. I confessed to her, and she actually fainted. That girl... she chases after me for years, then faints when I finally go after her. Women sure are complicated."

"So where did the whole marriage thing come from, then?" Karin asked. Ichigo was silent for a time, swirling the liquid in his mug absently. Finally he took a sip, and looked into Karin's eyes.

"It's my way... of finally putting the past to rest, and moving on with my life. It's my way of finally not letting my crap get in the way of what I want."

Karin closed her eyes, leaning back and turning her face to the ceiling, as if suddenly exhausted. "Idiot..." She mouthed to herself, so faint not even Ichigo heard it.

"Okay, so that explains Inoue-chan." Isshin said, "next topic: you as a teacher. I'll be honest son, I never saw that one coming." Ichigo gave a shrug in response.

"What can I say? One of the jobs I had was tutoring high school students in America, and I enjoyed it. I really didn't know what else I wanted to do, so I figured I might as well try it out. Turns out punks make pretty good teachers, eh? Kids will study hard if they're afraid of their sensei." Ichigo said with a small grin on his face."

"So that's it, I think. Any other part of my story needing straightening out?"

The room was silent for a minute, before Yuzu chimed in: "So when is Inoue-chan going to come back?" Ichigo turned his eyes upward.

"Tomorrow, I think. She said the third, right? Or was it three days after I came back? Gah, one moment!"

Ichigo pulled out his phone, checking the dates. After a moment, he gave a nod.

"Tomorrow, yeah. She's coming pretty early, so I'm going to pick her up before you all wake up, most likely."

Yuzu beamed at her brother. "Ya, it's been too long since I've seen Inoue-chan! I can't wait to... oh, I can't believe Ichi-ni is getting married! This is so exciting!"

Karin gave a small chuckle. "Yeah... it ought to be very exciting."

"Did you say something, daughter?" Isshin asked, leaning in perhaps a little to close to Karin's face. She responded not with words, but with a swift kick to the face.

"Lay off me old man."

Ichigo braced himself against the table, motioning to get up. "Well if that's all I'm going to go back to be-"

Ichigo was immediately halted by three pairs of eyes, all of which held one word in them: sit. Sheepishly, Ichigo sunk back into the chair. "Ooooor, we could talk some more. It has been so long after all."

"That's more like it. Glad to see you've gotten a little smarter, Ichigo." Isshin replied dangerously. As the three turned back to questioning once again, Ichigo gave a sigh: this was going to be a long day."

XxXxX

It was five in the afternoon by the time Ichigo was finally able to pry himself away from his family: and only because he finally admitted to his terrible sleep and claimed to be deathly tired. He even endured a few cheap shots about his lack of endurance from his father. It was all worth it though, and finally Ichigo collapsed on his bed, and he was asleep the moment his head hit the pillow.

...Only to be woken up not even five minutes later by a dull ringing in his ears. Looking over, Ichigo saw his phone vibrating on the table beside him. Leaning over to look at the caller ID, Ichigo gave a small smile before answering.

"Hey there, Orihime."

"Hi Kurosa-"

"Sorry," Ichigo said playfully, "what was that?"

"Ah! Um... I-Ichigo. Sorry, I guess I'm still not used to calling you that. Old habits and all. S-Sorry..." Ichigo deepened his smile: Orihime's clumsiness never ceased to amuse him.

"It's nothing, really. I just feel weird, being the only one using the first name, ya know?" Ichigo teased. "I suppose..." Orihime replied sheepishly.

"So what's up? Did your flight get delayed or something?" Ichigo asked, suddenly curious as to why Orihime had called him. There was silence on the other end for a moment, before:

"Ah, no. I just... well, I wanted to make sure you were alright, and I missed the sound of your voice since we hadn't talked in a few days, so I just wanted to um... well..."

"It's nice," Ichigo said softly, "to hear your voice. It's been a long two days, and I've been feeling pretty stressed. But just hearing your voice... I think my headache went away."

"Really!" Orihime almost screamed into the phone, obviously flustered. Ichigo chuckled. "Really, idiot. Why wouldn't my fiance's voice reinvigorate me? I'd be a shitty boyfriend if that weren't the case, wouldn't I?"

"I suppose so..." Orihime trailed of, still somewhat flustered. However after a moment she recovered. "So then... was it at least nice seeing your family again?"

Ichigo paused for a moment, pondering the question. Sure the interrogation had been a little tiring, and his sister's attitude had been pretty foul since last night, but-

"Yeah, it was great to see them again. I feel like I'm back home."

"I'm glad. Your family is so wonderful, Ichigo. You should see them more often. I'm actually a little jealous, and after Sora, I-"

"Hey, none of that talk." Ichigo replied gently. "You're part of my family, didn't I say so when I proposed? So hurry up and get over here, you deserve to come home too."

"Yeah," Orihime said to herself, "I'm looking forward to it."

"Good." Ichigo replied, standing up to open his window. "Because I am too. I've been telling them about us, I still think they don't believe me. Without you here, I look pretty foolish. I guess I really am pretty far out of your league, after all."

"N-Not at all! If anything I'm-"

"There you go again, would you cut it out? You're always too humble. Tatsuki would hit you if she heard such things."

Laughter came from Orihime, "I suppose you're right. I'm looking forward to seeing Tatsuki-chan. Everybody else too, even Rukia-chan."

Ichigo's grip tightened on the phone. Orihime continued: "You promised you'd make amends, right? I want her to come to the wedding, you know! Have you seen her yet?"

Ichigo tightened his hand into a fist, a feeling of anxiety rising from his stomach. He felt his throat dry, but he responded regardless.

"No, I haven't seen her. According to dad, she left town after I did. I doubt she's even in Karakura."

Orihime gave a sigh on the other side of the line. "Aww... I wanted to see her again. Oh well, I'll just see if I can find Byakuya-san. He might know where Rukia is."

"Yeah, maybe." Ichigo responded dryly.

"At any rate, I need to finish packing up for tomorrow. I just wanted to hear your voice. Sorry if I disturbed you."

Despite his panic, Ichigo managed to grin. "Idiot, as if you could ever disturb me. Now go finish, I don't want to wait a second longer than I have to before seeing you again."

Orihime gave a small laugh, "Okay then. I'll see you tomorrow morning! I love you."

"Yeah... I love you too."

Orihime hung up, but Ichigo continued to stare out the window at the setting sun. Eventually, his hand dropped to his side along with the phone.

"Great job idiot, now you've fucking lied to your fiance about your ex. This can't come back to haunt you at all, no sir." Turning, Ichigo looked over at Rukia's old window. He wondered if she'd try to come back. If the next time she did, Orihime would be in the room with him. Would he be able to handle that?

_I'd consider... keeping our promise again._

Sighing, Ichigo banished such thoughts from his mind. One thing at a time, and right now he desperately needed some sleep before going out tonight. Setting his alarm for ten, Ichigo laid down once again, and once again he was asleep before he knew it.

XxXxX

**A/N: Sorry for the delayed delay on this chapter. On top of being sick as a dog, every professor I have decided it was a great time to throw a mountain of work at me, and I honestly saw entire writing days go up in smoke. Hell half this chapter was written a day before I'm putting it up. So this chapter was all Ichigo, all the time. Don't worry Rukia fans: next chapter focuses entirely on our favorite chappy-obsessed shinigami. The next chapter is either going to be up very early May or very late May, the reason being that the usual time (15th-20th) I release chapters is smack dab in the middle of my finals. However after that my next semester doesn't start till September, so I'll have plenty of time to write. Who knows, I might even be able to get two chapters out a month!***

***Note, never take any promise Kazukagi makes at face value. Kazukagi has been known to become incredibly lazy or unmotivated without warning, and slip on updates for months at a time. Please do not expect two chapters a month, it is merely a pipe dream with 1:100 odds.**

**See you all next time!**


	5. Chapter 5: Rukia

**Chapter Five: Rukia**

_How strange, Rukia thought, she had a guest tonight._

_She had come to her windowsill to look at the stars – like she did every night – when she noticed there was somebody in the window across from hers. It was a boy, probably around her age. He was thin, and a bit taller than she was, with a head of violently orange hair that protruded from his skull in all directions. Rukia looked closer: his face was lit up by the moon light as he stared into the void above, tears leaking from his eyes. Rukia tilted her head._

"_Why are you crying?" She asked innocently. The boy jumped, he had obviously not expected to be disturbed. He looked over at her for a moment, before furiously wiping his face with his left sleeve. _

"_I wasn't crying!" He yelled indignantly, though his voice quivered even as he tried to deny it. Rukia tilted her head. Her big sis had told her people cry for lots of different reasons, like pain or sadness. But also for happiness, too. Rukia really didn't get it, but she was only six and a half after all. Kaien told her that once she was eight like him, she'd know everything like him._

"_Are you hurt?" Rukia probed, leaning closer to the boy. "Do you need a doctor?" The boy shook his head._

"_No I'm... I'm sorry. I don't want to talk about it."_

_Again Rukia pondered. Something was obviously bothering the boy, but then again Byakuya had told her that she shouldn't be so nosy. What should she-?_

"_It's okay to cry you know." Rukia said, trying to smile brightly at the boy, "that's what my sister says, at any rate. It's okay to cry if you're feeling sad." She had hoped the boy would return her smile, but instead he continued to shake his head, faced buried in his arms._

"_My mom... my mom said men don't cry! She said that if I wanted to grow up and be a strong man, that I shouldn't cry! That's why! That's why I can't-... ah..." For the first time, the boy looked up, staring into the girls eyes. _

"_Who are you?" He asked, eyes never leaving her face. Rukia gave a small pout. "Hey now, you're the new neighbor, so shouldn't you introduce yourself first? Not to mention, Byakuya says you should say your name before asking somebody else's."_

_The boy cocked his head to one side, before blushing and turning away._

"_A-ah, sorry. My mom always u-used to say my manners were... my name is Kurosaki Ichigo." The boy bowed slightly, extending his hand across the gap. Rukia gave a small smile. 'One who protects', she liked the ring of his name. Not that it was going to stop her:_

"_Wait, so your name is 'strawberry'! That's too good!" Rukia burst into a fit of giggles, almost losing her balance. Red rushed to the boy's cheeks, as a vein pulsed in his head._

"_I-It doesn't mean strawberry! It means 'one who protects'!"_

"_But it goes perfectly with your hair the other way!" Rukia retorted. Instantly his hands shot up to the orange locks._

"_S-Shut up! This is my natural color, alright! Gah, you're such a-"_

"_Hey, you're not crying anymore!"_

"_Huh?" The boy stopped in realization, reaching up to find his cheeks dry. Rukia gave a small smile: she liked this boy. He was fun to tease._

"_My name is Kuchiki Rukia," Rukia said, letting her own hand mimic Ichigo's a second ago, "We're neighbors now, so lets be friends, okay?"_

_The boy was silent for a moment, before donning a soft grin. Rubbing the back of his head, he leaned forward to grab Rukia's hand._

"_Alright, friends."_

XxXxX

Three sharp raps on the door, and Rukia bolted out of bed, falling over the side in her surprise and taking the sheets with her. After a soft 'excuse me' the door opened, a female maid stepping into the room. Turning to look at the girl in a heap before her, the maid gave a small giggle.

"Ah, did I wake you Kuchiki-sama?" She asked politely, trying to hide her grin. Rukia glowered under the mess as she tried to free herself.

"Yes, yes you did. It is fine though, I just... gah, could you help me, please!"

Stifling an oncoming giggle fit, the maid stepped forward, expertly untangling the girl from her sheets. Rukia was upright a moment later, a blush forming at her cheeks.

"R-Right, so what is it you needed?" She asked.

"Kuchiki-dono requested your presence in the dining room for breakfast in an hour. I thought to wake you in advance in case you wanted to take a bath beforehand, since it is my understanding that you were not able to do so last night."

Rukia suppressed a gulp. It seemed news of her little adventure had spread. Though her brother had bought her story the night before, she still had a feeling that there was an oncoming lecture.

"Thank you, I'll do so, then." Rukia replied. The maid gave a bow. "Very well, I will go draw it for you." Rukia hesitated. "You don't have to-"

"I will also have someone come to change the sheets and make your bed. Your cloths were also sorted last night, so I will lay out your outfit during the bath. Ah yes, it's down the hall on the right side, the second door. I'll leave it ajar so you don't miss it." After having said everything in one breath, the girl gave another bow and departed the room, leaving a paralyzed Rukia. Sure she wasn't poor, but she wasn't used to this kind of treatment.

"Nii-sama is more amazing than I thought, huh?" Rukia pondered. Moving to her dresser, Rukia found her cloths sorted by type and then by color, and in a few moments she had picked out an outfit and laid it on the bed for the maids. As she turned to close the dresser however she noticed an article of clothing that had not been sorted: a rather tattered jacket and scarf sitting on the bottom of the dresser.

_You always had trouble getting these on tight, right?_

Rukia hesitated. She didn't know why she had dreamed of their first encounter, perhaps because of a similar encounter last night? It seemed that a certain orange-haired asshole was wedged so firmly in her mind that she couldn't even escape him in her dreams. Yet why did she feel so-?

"What am I doing?" Rukia sighed, "I have to soften Nii-sama up for Renji." Without further ado, Rukia left to go get ready for the day.

XxXxX

To Rukia's surprise she had not found her Nii-sama in the dining room. After questioning a servant, she was redirected to a large garden in the center of the mansion, so lavish that only her brother could have asked for such a thing. In every corner a different type of plant was growing, and Rukia found her head turned back and forth as she wandered down a marble path, gaping at the variety of flowers and trees that climbed from the earth. Eventually the path ended in a section of simple Japanese flora, surrounded by a river of koi. In the center, Her brother knelled, hands clasped before a simple wooden shrine. Realizing instantly what it was, Rukia silently stepped forward to kneel beside her brother, Clasping her hands before the shrine to her sister. Byakuya looked over for a moment but said nothing, and returned to his prayers. After a minute or so, Rukia stood up, looking over her brother.

"She would have liked it," Rukia said softly, "she loved these flowers." Byakuya stood up as well, giving a small nod. "Yes, she always was so invested in her garden. Though I erected this shrine, the garden itself is my way of remembering Hisana." Rukia tilted her head: it wasn't often Nii-sama was so talkative. "Do you pray here every day?" Rukia probed, again earning a nod. "Yes, I have found myself unable to start the day without seeing her. She watches over me, and I know that my successes are as much hers as mine."

Byakuya turned around, walking back towards the house. "But enough talk of the past, we must focus on the present. Let us have breakfast, we have much to discuss after."

Yet another delicious meal later, Byakuya had beckoned Rukia to follow. She had expected to be escorted to the tea room again, yet to her surprise she instead followed to Byakuya's study. The study provided a stark contrast to the lavish mansion surrounding it. Minimalistic bordering on spartan, the study contained nothing more than a desk holding one laptop and a monitor for another computer, and two chairs. The rest of the room was left barren and white washed, save for a single window behind Byakuya's desk. Byakuya sat down behind the desk, making a small motion for Rukia to sit across from him.

"I realize that you have the desire for a long discussion, and please believe me when I say that I do as well. However, there are a few... critical issues, that must be addressed."

Rukia inwardly sighed. She knew this was coming, but that hadn't stopped her from dreading it. She had hoped Nii-sama would have been busy researching Renji, but knowing him Rukia was sure Nii-sama had already finished his research before Rukia had even awoken. As her thoughts raced around her mind, Rukia adopted a passive smile.

"What issues, Nii-sama?" She asked innocently.

"About your fiancee" Byakuya said calmly, though Rukia swore his eye twitched a little on the last word, "and about the logistics of your... relationship." Byakuya said, ominously trailing off. Rukia did her best to still her heart. "Very well."

"Also about your plans," Byakuya continued, "Where you plan to live, and work, and settle down. Of course I would like you to stay in Karakura, but it is in the end your decision. Finally..." Once again her Nii-sama trailed off, turning his attention to the laptop on his desk. After a few keystrokes, Byakuya turned the monitor to face Rukia, revealing a blurry black and white video. What it depicted however was clear: Rukia trying to jump the gate, only to find it unlocked, falling flat on her face. Rukia blushed red as in the video she hurriedly picked herself up, closed the gate and made a break for the tree near her window. As she climbed her way off camera, Byakuya turned the laptop away from her, now staring directly at her.

"Though I understand that you are now an adult, and have a right to your own freedom, I hardly see the reason for returning at so late an hour. I would like an explanation."

Rukia had been ready for this question, and she had come up with her response. Rukia had found it very difficult to lie to her Nii-sama: anything more than a simple white lie somehow failed to even fool him for a second, and half the time Rukia wondered if he didn't even catch her white lies as well. However, this time Rukia wasn't planning on lying. She was just going to tell a partial truth.

"I went to go visit our old house." Rukia said, looking up at her brother, "You were avoiding the subject at dinner, so I was afraid something had happened to it." Rukia had expected several different responses from Nii-sama. However when he averted his gaze from her, looking almost guilty... she had not expected that.

"I see... my apologies if I caused you distress. That house just seemed empty without you and Hisana in it with me. I left to do away with that feeling, and now I sometimes find it difficult to discuss that part of our past. My avoiding the subject was juvenile."

Rukia was rather stunned. Of course she had seen Nii-sama apologize before, and she definitely had seen him sad. Yet right now he just looked so... vulnerable. Now she felt guilty: her lie had caused her brother distress.

"I take it you did see it then?" Byakuya questioned, "how is it?"

Rukia gave a sigh, "A mess. Nobody ever bought it after you moved out, so the place has totally fallen apart." Byakuya ran a hand through his hair.

"I see... perhaps I will look into repairing it... for memory's sake." After a moment Byakuya had composed himself once again, and returned his gaze to match Rukia's. "I understand your motives, but that still does not explain your late return. You left a little before ten, and even with traffic, though there was none, you could have been back before midnight. Yet you did not return until nearly two in the morning. I would like to know the reason."

Rukia shifted uncomfortably in her seat. She toyed with telling her brother the whole story. Doubtless he would be angry with her for talking to Ichigo again: her brother and Ichigo were like oil and water, always setting each other off. Yet there was another fear too: that if Byakuya found out about her encounter, that he might come to the same question that she had been struggling with since she'd met the orange haired brat last night.

That one nagging feeling in her stomach she'd felt when he'd spoken of it, that damn feeling she couldn't shake even now-!

"I just got caught up in the memories," Rukia blurted out, realizing she had been silent a bit too long and was receiving a rather impatient stare from her brother. "My room especially, it was practically my life, you know? I guess I-"

"Rukia." Her brother interrupted, promptly shutting Rukia up. Her brother always held courtesy in the highest regard, and so for him to interrupt her mid sentence meant he wasn't buying a word of it. Rukia gulped at the thought of the impending lecture.

"I have still not come to terms fully with the true things you have told me... please do not cause me further distress with your lies. I understand you are an adult now, and that my influence over your actions is not what it once was. Regardless, I request one thing from you even still: honesty."

"Now tell me, please. What were you doing out so late? I ask only out of concern."

Rukia hung her head in defeat. She knew of course: Nii-sama was only looking out for her safety, like he always had. The very fact that she was trying to lie was causing him distress, and it made Rukia feel those familiar pangs of guilt again. Rukia spoke, unable to look her brother in the eye.

"I was in my room, like I said. I was about to leave, but then I-... I saw Ichigo."

"He's in town!"

Rukia jumped. Nii-sama had raised his voice... not to mention a contraction? It wasn't often Rukia's brother would let himself talk so informally. Looking up at him, she saw him readjusting his tie and hair, averting his gaze from her. She understood: he was embarrassed by the display.

"I see, that must have been rather distressful for you." Byakuya said calmly, though Rukia could have sworn his lip was quivering slightly. "I trust he did not cause you any harm?"

Rukia quickly threw up her hands. "Not at all! Really, Nii-sama, we just talked! I admit, even I thought that he would be mad after... after everything that happened. But instead he just talked calmly with me and I... I guess I lost track of time. It was the first time I'd seen him in years, and talking with him again..."

_It felt nice._

"I see." Byakuya said, his composure now regained. "I understand then. Tell me how is he, after all these years?"

"He's engaged." Rukia said softly, looking away, "Just like I am. He went to America and got engaged in university." She finished. Byakuya gave a nod.

"Indeed? I find it hard to believe that such a rough man could find a young woman willing to marry him. Regardless, it is good that you know this. Though I know you no longer harbor feelings for him, the loose ends of our past can cause us harm, if we are not vigilant. We should be thankful when they are tied up for us."

There it was again: logic, which coincided with her own. She should be happy about Ichigo's announcement. It made everything so much easier. Yet there was that damn feeling again, welling up inside of her. Dammit, dammit, dammit! Why was she feeling like this!

"At any rate, I apologize. I said myself I had no desire to speak of the past... let us move on. I take it your fiancee is on schedule to arrive at 8:00pm tonight?"

Rukia jumped, snapping herself from her thoughts. Ichigo wasn't important right now, she needed to soften Nii-sama up for Renji!"

"Yes, he texted me just before I went to bed last night. So long as there are no problems with the flight, he'll be here."

"Good, I appreciate it. I have taken the day off in order to greet this man, as well as get some affairs in order. Before we depart to pick him up I would also like to talk with you about the last ten years, as well as your future prospects. Would you please meet me in the tea room at 5 o'clock?"

"Of course, Nii-sama." Rukia agreed.

"Very good. I believe we will have much to talk about."

Rukia stood up from her chair, giving a small bow. "Then would you mind if I headed out for a few hours?" She inquired casually. Byakuya gave her a small look.

"Not at all. What for?"

"I just wanted to walk around the city a little, get re-acclimated."

"Do you require transportation?"

"No, I'd rather just take the bus."

Byakuya gave a small sigh of discontent with his sister's decision, but apparently decided to drop the issue. With a small wave, Rukia was excused from her brother's study. Once she had closed the door behind her, she gave a soft sigh, slumping against the door. Though she knew her brother meant well, that little talk had made Rukia realize just how stressful the next few weeks were going to be. Dealing with Renji and her brother was worrying enough, but now there was the matter of Ichigo-

Rukia violently shook her head. She didn't have time to think about that idiot right now. Her brother had said so himself: focus on the present, not the past, and presently there was something Rukia needed to do.

After a quick jaunt upstairs to retrieve her purse and a coat, Rukia departed the mansion. The moment she hit the open air she shivered. The snow that had begun to fall the night before was still lazily floating to the earth, and a gray clouds mixed with a harsh wind seemed to be keeping all but the most dedicated off the streets. Rukia herself quickly ran to the nearest bus stop, catching a lucky break and getting on juts as it was about to depart.

"Well now, you're the last person I expected to see today."

Rukia's face bloomed into a beaming smile. She knew that voice.

"It's good to see you again, Arisawa."

Said girl stood up from her seat behind Rukia and, giving the girl a smack on the head, sat down beside her.

"It's been ten damn years, and you still refuse to call me by my first name? Girls aren't supposed to have those formalities between us. Well whatever, no matter how much you protest, I'm still calling you Rukia-chan."

Rukia threw her old friend the most sympathetic gaze she could muster, "you didn't have to hit me..."

"Oh suck it up. Anyway, what the hell are you doing back here without so much as a peep?"

Rukia gave an innocent grin. "Er... well it was kind of sudden, and I only had time to inform Nii-sama, so-"

Tatsuki gave a huff. "So nothing! I swear, leaving out of the blue like that, leaving us all alone without an explanation. Even I have my limits you know."

Rukia threw her friend a guilty look. "I know, I know. Look, I'm really sorry, okay? Things were... complicated back then."

Tatsuki was silent for a full minute, eyes fixed on Rukia. Just when Rukia couldn't take it any more Tatsuki gave a sigh, closing her eyes and looking away. "Yeah, I know. Honestly it was bound to happen eventually. You two were way too volatile: I never knew if I was gonna find you making out or beating the hell out of each other. Any sane person would've had you committed."

Reaching over into her bag, Tatsuki withdrew two cans of coffee, throwing one to Rukia. Said girl gratefully took a sip of the warm drink, warming her hands on the can.

"So tell me, what are you doing back then?" Tatsuki inquired, taking a deep sip.

"To be honest... I'm getting married." Rukia admitted quietly.

"To Ichigo!"

"What!" Rukia turned, facing a crazed Tatsuki. "No, no, not Ichigo! A man I met at work, Renji Atari!"

Tatsuki let out a breath, turning to face away once again. "Ah, I see. Sorry about that, it was stupid of me."

"No, it's my fault," Rukia consoled her friend, "I shouldn't have just sprung that on you without making it clear."

Tatsuki gave a nod, finishing off her coffee before throwing the empty can back into her bag. "Well hey, congratulations. Getting married is a great thing. Finding somebody you love enough to spend the rest of your life with them... it must be nice."

Tatsuki averted her gaze, and Rukia was left to ponder the silence. "Yeah, you're right."

XxXxX

Though Tatsuki had been on her way to see another friend, she had canceled out of the blue, leaving her to join Rukia on her little outing. The pair exited the bus on the west side of Karakura, just at the edge between city and suburbia. As they exited, Tatsuki gave an incredulous look around.

"You know, this isn't the first place I'd pick to visit after being away for ten years."

Rukia gave a small smile. "Then don't follow me." Tatsuki gave a small shake of the head.

"Not a chance. The way my luck's been going lately, I'd never see you again once I let you out of my sight. No, I'm sticking with you." Rukia's smile broadened. "Whatever you say, then."

The pair walked in silence along the bank of the river running through the town, towards the older section of the city where they had both grown up. Rukia had to admit, she was enjoying her chance encounter. Though she was still as surly as ever, Tatsuki was a dear friend to her, and seeing her again had helped alleviate some of the tension she had been feeling.

In truth, Rukia had planned on visiting her senpai's grave. Shiba-sama has pretty much made her promise to do so, since she had missed the funeral, but now Rukia just couldn't bring her self to take Tatsuki there as well. Mourning her lost senpai was a personal thing, and she would find time to do it by herself, later. For now, there were other places she wanted to visit.

"So how have you been, Arisawa?" Rukia inquired, throwing a glance to her partner. Said girl gave a small shrug. "Fine, I suppose. I got a job at mine and Ichigo's old dojo, though I really want to start my own. It's because I'm a woman they keep denying me, I know it. So now I'm focusing on getting good enough to silence those idiots once and for all."

Rukia gave a small chuckle. "Sounds like you haven't changed a bit. I was worried, I figured Inoue being in America would have hit you harder." Tatsuki was silent for a good minute, before turning to Rukia. "How did you know Orihime has been in America?"

Damn, she wasn't supposed to know that, was she? Rukia didn't want to admit that she had heard about it from Ichigo; bringing up that orange haired brat would raise all sorts of questions.

"N-Nii-sama told me! Yeah, I was trying to get a hold of her a few years ago and her brother told me so." Rukia lied through her teeth. Tatsuki continued to stare through Rukia for a few moments, before shrugging and turning away.

"Well yeah, it sucked I guess. But I moved on. Besides, she still comes to visit me every winter. Still though... America. That girl, I have no idea what goes through her head sometimes. You don't need to study abroad to become a baker. I honestly can't fathom why she decided to go there.

_I can think of a very specific reason... _Rukia thought to herself, though remaining silent.

"What about you?"

"What!" Rukia jumped, having been knocked from her train of thought. Tatsuki raised an eyebrow.

"I said what about you? I'm sure you're going to get sick of explaining, if you haven't already, but I'm curious."

Rukia gave Tatsuki a brief rundown: living with the Shiba family in Osaka, joining up with a marketing firm as an intern in university, and how Renji had recognized her talent and promoted her up until she was working directly under him.

"I see, I see. So this Abari guy is your fiancee? He sounds like a nice guy." Rukia gave a nod.

"Yes, Renji is a very caring person. He can be a bit... abrasive sometimes, but then again so can I, right?" Rukia laughed in tandem with Tatsuki.

"Well then, I'm sure you'll be happy. I can't wait to meet him... I _am_ invited to the wedding, I take it?"  
Tatsuki asked, throwing Rukia a dangerous glance.

"Of course! I just haven't gotten around to really planning much... not that I have to. Renji hired somebody to help us set it all up, much more stress free than it should be. I'm relieved to be honest."

Rukia took a few steps ahead of Tatsuki, having finally found her destination: their old high school. Though she couldn't see the girl behind her, Rukia heard Tatsuki give a small laugh.

"You really wanted to see this damn place? Not much to miss here, honestly."

Rukia gave a small pout. "You're just jaded. I never got to graduate like you did, so though I have less memories than you, they're much more precious." Tatsuki shook her head. "Whatever you say, weirdo."

Rukia walked past the gates, making a slow circle around the main building. As far as she could tell class was session, and she knew she'd be in trouble if she tried to sneak into the building. Instead she opted to tour the outside, trying to remember as well as she could everything Rukia had done here. After a few minutes, the pair approached an aging oak tree, sitting down on the grass beneath it.

"This is where we all used to have lunch." Rukia said cheerfully, reveling in the memory. Tatsuki gave a small nod. "Yeah, except when you would sneak off to go fuck Ichigo." She said absently. Rukia fought the blush suddenly turning her face into a tomato.

"A-Arisawa!"

"What? It's the truth. Honestly I sometimes wondered why you even bothered showing up at all."

"I-I still had to make an appearance, right! After all you guys are my friends!"

"Sure sure, make excuses. At any rate, I guess this would be a good place to break them out."

Rukia tilted her head in confusion. Tatsuki reached once again into her bag, and after a minute of soft cursing, withdrew two wrapped rice balls. With a smirk, she threw one to Rukia. "Be grateful, this is the second time I've shared half my rations with you."

"Hey now, I always paid you back in the old days. Have a little faith." Rukia teased, taking a happy bite into her rice ball. With a sigh, she leaned back against the tree. Even under the threat that at any minute a teacher might run out and tell them to leave the grounds they technically shouldn't have been on, Rukia was in heaven. It was like being back in high school again, like those ten years had never even taken place and she was still living in that tiny house with her family, happy as could be.

Tatsuki ate her rice ball in silence, occasionally stopping to throw a few glances at Rukia. Once she had finished she continued to remain silent for a few minutes, before finally working up the courage to speak.

"Hey... can I ask you something?"

Rukia opened an eye, looking over at her friend. "What is it?"

"It's something that's been bothering me since... well really since you've ran away. I tried to avoid talking about it but... I really think I need an answer."

Rukia sat up fully now, looking her friend dead in the eye. "Okay, I'm listening." Rukia put her attention on Tatsuki. It wasn't often that acted like this: only when something was really important to her. Tatsuki remained silent for a full minute, biting her lip. Finally, she spoke.

"Would you tell me... why you and Ichigo broke up?" She asked softly, almost too quietly for Rukia to hear it.

All at once, Rukia's world ground to a halt.

"W-what?" she asked breathlessly. Tatsuki clenched a fist.

"I know it isn't my place but... I really want to know. I called you volatile, but really you guys seemed inseparable. So for you both to suddenly separate and run away like that... Ichigo never told me. We've been friends so long, yet he didn't tell me anything! That jerk just up and left without saying a goddamn word to me!" Tatsuki shouted meaninglessly into the air. Rukia was left speechless.

"So I want to know. Why did you guys break up. And why did Ichi-, why did the two of you leave town?" She practically screamed at Rukia, leaving her paralyzed. What should she say? Even she really wasn't sure why she decided to leave town. Because of Ichigo? Because of Hisana? Because of Kaien? Those were reasons yes, but was it the whole reason? What had been that impulsive force that had made her go though with that stupid plan she and Ichigo had concocted as a means to escape reality, only without him at her side?

And as for why she had broken up with Ichigo-

_So what, I don't mean shit to you!_

That was-

_Fine then! Get out! Get out of my sight!_

Because both of them had been so-

_We can throw it all away. It'll be just the two of us._

_Forever._

"Rukia?"

Rukia suddenly came back to reality, looking up at her bewildered friend. Feeling a warmness on her face, she reached up, finding herself crying. How long had she been-?

"I'm sorry, Arisawa. I cannot answer your question."

Tatsuki's face fell. "Why not?" She asked. Rukia gave her friend a sad smile.

"Because, I don't think even I know why." She admitted bitterly.

The two stared each other down for a good minute, before Tatsuki finally gave a small sigh. Standing up and grabbing her bag, she offered Rukia a hand, which she accepted tentatively. "Sorry, guess I'm still as tactless as ever. Opening old wounds like that." Rukia shook her head.

"No, you were right. You have a right to know. I'm just not sure how to answer you."

"I guess not... suppose I'll wait until Ichigo shows up in town again someday. He was always clear-cut about how he felt, the stupid simpleton. I'll pry it out of him."

Rukia clenched a fist in her sleeve, unsure of what to do or say. She hadn't told a single lie in what she'd said, and Tatsuki was right that Ichigo would know. So should she-?

"If you really want to ask him... you can." Rukia said quietly. Despite this however, Tatsuki came to a complete halt, Turning back to face Rukia."

"What do you mean by that?" She asked, a hint of venom in her voice. Rukia shifted uncomfortably.

"Ichigo... Ichigo is here in Karakura. I met him, last night. I didn't want to tell you because I thought he should be the one to come see you but-"

A pair of hands grabbed Rukia's collar, pulling her face within inches of Tatsuki's. The look on her friends face was all business. "Are you bullshitting me?" She asked slowly. Rukia shook her head.

After a minute, Tatsuki let go of Rukia's collar, and instead trapped the small girl in a vice-grip hug. A surprised Rukia did all she could to not suffocate.

"It really was good, seeing you again. I have to get going, but thank you for all this. I'm sorry for being such a bitch. It's just part of who I am, I guess."

Releasing Rukia, She gave a wave before walking out back towards the bus stop. Rukia sat back down under the old tree, and remained there until the lunch bell rang, and she was chased away from the grounds by her old homeroom teacher. Silently, she began the return journey to her brother's mansion. When she finally returned she gave a quick hello to her Nii-sama, before collapsing on her bed, suddenly very exhausted by the past few hours.

And though she knew she should be thinking about how to make sure things stayed civil between her brother and Renji, all she could think about – over and over – was an old memory, and an old promise, of a certain orange haired idiot.

XxXxX

**Of course, I'd like to start off by apologizing for the month long delay. Unfortunately my Finals week kicked me in the ass much more than I expected, and afterwords I had some drama to take care of. Top that off with a genuine case of good old writer's block, and you have a late chapter. Thanks for putting up with my silly ass.**

**Next chapter should be up on schedule around mid July. There may be a small delay since I'll be attending Anime Expo, which will take up four otherwise free writing days, but even so that shouldn't impact me too much. Next chapter will also be much longer, since now that Rukia and Ichigo have gotten their personal chapters, next chapter will have multiple perspectives and lots of stuff going on. I also really wanted to get this chapter out ASAP, and so cut out the ending of this chapter and am putting it in the next one. Look forward to it, I know I am! **


	6. Chapter 6: Anger

Chapter 6: Anger

XxXxX

A dull buzzing sound rang in his ears, and for the second time that day Ichigo rose with his alarm. Sitting up slowly, Ichigo's eyes fluttered open for a moment before quickly shutting, and pinching the bridge of his nose with his fingers, Ichigo realized he felt like he had received no rest. Mumbling to himself irritably, Ichigo slammed his hand down on the alarm, silencing its screeching. For a second time Ichigo tried to open his eyes, and his blurry room came into view. Glancing down at his phone, he noticed the time was 8:01, still half an hour before he was supposed to be meeting up with the others.

Ichigo moved to the bathroom, checking himself in the mirror. Assured that his clothes weren't too terribly wrinkled and his face reasonably clean, he walked around his room: gathering up his keys, wallet and phone and cramming them into his pockets. Satisfied, Ichigo shuffled downstairs. Ichigo spent the next five minutes explaining to his family that he was not having dinner with them, promising that he wouldn't drink too heavily, and assuring them he'd have regular meals with them again come the next day. Once they were satiated, Ichigo took one step out the front door before a chilling winter wind made him shiver down to the bones. He quickly reached for his jacket and scarf, throwing them on haphazardly before heading back out into the night.

He was aware that he must look like a complete mess at worst, and at best quite a bit disheveled. He couldn't help it though: the last few days had been rather taxing on Ichigo. Working up the courage to come out, dealing with his family, his friends, and his memories... meeting _her _again-

Ichigo stopped walking, and stood still for a minute before taking in a deep breath. The cold air crashed against his lungs, and Ichigo felt himself awaken fully. "I need to stop being so stressed," Ichigo scolded himself, "I'm going to relieve that stress, for fuck's sake..."

Ichigo took in another deep breath, and once again continued on his way. Though there were many bars and clubs in Karakura's bustling downtown, Ichigo was heading somewhere a little more sentimental. A small little bar and restaurant nestled in the core of West Karakura: a haven for many an overworked salary man... or a few underage punks who were sly enough to convince old sandal-hat to serve them just a couple drinks. Ichigo chuckled to himself at the memory.

As two of the biggest idiots in the entire city, it was a given that Ichigo's father and sandal-hat were fast friends, apparently as far back as before Ichigo himself had been born. This friendship had lead to many a night of Isshin heading out to the bar to converse with Urahara, as well as the always stern father of Ishida. On occasion Ichigo had joined his father, competing with Ishida at the small variety of arcade games in the back, and it wasn't long before they had started sneaking alcohol from under their parents' eyes. It would be a few years until they were caught by Yoruichi, who had teasingly threatened to turn them in. Ever since, she'd er... _supply _Ichigo and his friends on occasion.

"Ah, that's right," Ichigo muttered to himself, as he approached the old dive, "Yet another group of people I'll have to explain myself to. Meh, if they're interested they can listen to me explain it to the guys."

After preparing himself for a moment, Ichigo pulled the old wooden door open and took a tentative step into his past.

It hadn't changed a bit. Barely large enough to not break fire codes with a bar, booths and tables all crammed into the narrow establishment. Everything reeked of ancient wood, splintering and splitting every which way. It was clean enough to pass inspection, but not much beyond that, with dust collecting in every corner and a variety of crumbs and mug rings across the smooth surface of the bar. Dim lights illuminated the room enough to see the food and the people in front of you, but kept it dim enough for a man to forget the outside world existed for a few hours.

"Welco-... well, well, well. Look who's back."

Behind the bar stood perhaps the strangest man Ichigo knew; quite the accomplishment considering who his father was. Urahara was a man who by Ichigo's reckoning had to be pushing his 50's, yet didn't look a day over 30. His dirty blond hair poked out from under his white and green striped bucket hat, and a small permanent stubble erupted from his chin. A distinct "clop!" noise echoed across the bar as he took a step, due to his wooden geta banging against the floor. This strange man had seemingly not aged a day since Ichigo had seen him last. A shadow cast across his face, but then he lifted his head upward, looking at Ichigo directly. His eyes seemed to shine with amusement as a grin spread across his face.

"I'd heard a rumor or two, about the punk who'd returned after running away." Ichigo scoffed in response.

"Please, you and my dad are like two old housewives: he phoned you the moment he was out of my sight."

"Maybe, maybe!" Urahara replied in a sing-song voice. Ichigo shook his head slowly as he made his way forward to sit down at the bar his father's old friend was standing behind. Urahara put down the glass he had been wiping like some cliché barkeep, and leaned in forward close to Ichigo.

"So then, Kurosaki-kun-"

"Rum and coke." Ichigo said, looking Urahara in the eye, "and if you shut up, maybe I'll let you listen in when I explain everything to the guys, once they get here." Ichigo said slowly. Urahara stood up, giving a mock pout.

"I see your time away has done wonders for your personality." Urahara said to himself, busying himself with Ichigo's order, "Though to be fair you were always rather petulant. It was part of your character, right Kurosaki-kun?"

"Shut up." Ichigo said in a bored voice, snatching the glass from Urahara and downing half the contents in a single gulp. "You haven't changed either: still as annoying and prying as ever. In case you haven't noticed: the last few days have been a little exhausting, and the last thing I want to do is put up with your shit."

"It really is a terrible habit of yours Kisuke, I've never known anybody who could get on somebody's nerves so fast."

With a smirk, Ichigo looked up past Urahara: to the woman who was now leaning on said man's shoulder. "Hey there, Yoruichi. You're still slumming it with this clown?"

Her feline-like features twisted into a small smirk to match Ichigo's. "What can I say, he's grown on me. It's been a long time Ichigo: you've grown up since I saw you last."

"Yeah, apparently people do that." Ichigo said sarcastic, downing the last of his drink. As Urahara moved to refill it Yoruichi raised an eyebrow. "So very crass. Your act might be fooling somebody Ichigo but it isn't fooling me: I highly doubt you came back here after so long just to wallow in alcohol." She said matter-of-factly. Ichigo locked eyes with the woman for a moment, before sighing and hanging his head.

"There's a lot of good memories here Yoruichi... but also a lot of bad ones. Kaien, Miyako, Mom... and Rukia. It's all here, and it's making me remember. Not that I ever forgot of course but... here, it just seems so much more real."

"That's because you ran away, Ichigo."

Ichigo looked up. He had expected Yoruichi to speak, but instead it had been Urahara, setting a second drink down in front of Ichigo. "You ran away from facing your problems. Unfortunately the joke's on you: your problems have always been here, waiting for you. So now you finally get to face them. I'd want a strong drink too, personally." Ichigo couldn't make out the old man's eyes from under the shadows of his bucket hat, but he saw the somber smile on his face, and Ichigo matched the gesture.

"Maybe, maybe..." Ichigo said in a mocking tone, digging in to his second drink. Yoruichi gave her husband an affectionate pat on the head before detaching herself from him, jumping over the bar to sit next to the orange-haired youth. "So I though I heard you mention something about the 'guys', if I wasn't mistaken. I take it we aren't the first people you've run into?"

Ichigo gave a small nod, putting down his glass. "Yeah, Mizuro and Keigo; they should be here-"

"Ichigo!" Keigo's voice rang out as he stepped into the bar. Ichigo hung his head in defeat.

"...Any minute now." Ichigo looked up and waved his friends forward. Keigo and Mizuro came towards him; along with a third man, who's great stature dwarfed the the other men without shame. A guitar bag slung over his massive left shoulder, he never took his eyes off of Ichigo's. He came to a stop just before the place Ichigo was sitting and, his stoic features giving way to a grin, he extended his free arm.

"Ichigo." He said simply. Ichigo matched the grin, taking the hand of his best friend and fighting partner. "Chad, you too?" The giant gave a small nod. "Mizuro called me. I hope I'm not imposing."

"Not at all, good to see you again." Chad nodded in response.

"Likewise."

"Right then barkeep! Endless beer and keep it coming! All on our good pal Ichigo, right?" Keigo added towards said man. Ichigo responded with a scoff, "Oi, I'm a teacher, you know. I don't make that kind of dough." Keigo cracked a smile. "Is that any way to repay your faithful friends, who waited for you even after you abandoned them so cruely?" Ichigo mirrored the grin. "Okay then sandle-hat, I'll cover for everybody. Except Keigo, of course."

The others laughed, while Keigo sunk to the floor with all the passion and drama of a Shakespearean actor. As Urahara passed out drinks the three turned as one to Ichigo. "Alright then Ichigo," Mizuro said, "I'm expecting a good story from you." Ichigo took a deep sip of his beer before nodding. "Alright, but you better listen up, because I'm only going to tell it once. I'm getting sick of repeating it." The three men, along with a curious barkeep and barmaid, leaned in to listen intently.

XxXxX

For the tenth time in 20 minutes, Byakuya looked down at his watch. For the tenth time he signed and turned to his sister. "I believe you told me that the man's flight landed at eight, correct?" He asked again.

Though she would never show it, Byakuya could see his sister's frustration in her tired smile. However she simply replied: "He's probably just having some trouble with his luggage or something, please just wait a little longer." Byakuya nodded respectfully, and returned his attention to the gate.

The problem was that no matter how hard he tried, Byakuya could not remain patient or calm. Though he had found out some of this man's history, there were still too many unknowns. He wasn't sure what was going to come out of that gate claiming to be Rukia's fiancee. Renji Abari. Vice President at one of Osaka's top marketing firms, what little info Byakuya could dig up on such short notice was rather promising, in truth. Smart, powerful, wealthy. He was well respected and trusted by many. Still, Byakuya knew their was more to people than job and station; Hisana had taught him that lesson. Perhaps remembering the resistance to his own engagement, Byakuya resolved to give the man a chance, if only for Rukia's sake.

Not that he wouldn't crush the man like a maggot if he deserved it, of course.

"Ah, there he is now, Nii-sama. Renji! Over here!" Following Rukia's gaze, Byakuya looked up. He... didn't quite expect the sight that met his eyes.

The man was tall, taller than Byakuya himself. His body was well shaped, muscular yet lean, and he walked with purpose and power. He wore shiny black shoes and dark slacks, his matching jacket draped over his shoulder and his white dress shirt unbuttoned at the collar. While he had once been wearing a red tie, he had since removed it, folding it into his breast pocket. From the neck down, he looked like any other respectable business man would after a hard day of work.

It was above the neck however, where Byakuya found his attention drawn. For a moment, he wondered what his sister had for men with such distinctly colored hair. Long, violently red hair was pulled back into a ponytail, from which chaotic spikes jutted out in every direction. What was worse: as if to complete the image of a stereotypical punk, Intricate black tattoos began upwards from both eyebrows, vanishing into his hair.

Yes, definitely not what Byakuya had expected.

The man walked towards Rukia, who had run towards him. They exchanged a few whispered words, and the man flashed a smile before giving Rukia a small kiss (Byakuya fought to keep his face straight) and turning his attention to Byakuya. The man gave a small bow, before extending hand.

"Abari Renji" He said simply. His voiced wavered, obviously out of fear, but his handshake was strong. "Great to finally meet ya. Rukia's filled me in on lots... sorry 'bout the whole 'springing the engagement' thing. She told me," at this point Renji looked pointedly at Rukia, who tried to look innocent, "she'd told you about... well us. I didn't intend any disrespect."

Byakuya evaluated the man before him carefully. Except for that one look towards Rukia, the man had always looked Byakuya square in the eye. Was he sincere? Byakuya honestly wasn't quite sure. He was having a hard enough time as it was, looking past the man's rather... abrasive appearance and speech. Even so, he would continue to act the cultured host.

"I understand, Rukia _is _rather fond of keeping secrets." Again, Rukia blushed and turned away. "I am Kuchiki Byakuya. Though I readily admit to being unhappy with how these events unfolded, I shall take your relationship under consideration." Byakuya paused here, allowing his words to sink in before continuing. "I hope you realize, that I have no qualms with brushing you away, should I find you an ill match for my sister."

"Nii-sama, that's-" Rukia began angrily, but was silenced by her fiance's hand on her shoulder. Shaking his head once, he turned back to Byakuya and dropped into a low bow.

"Then let me make make a formal request. Kuchiki Byakuya, would you give me your sister's hand in marriage?" The man spoke clearly, and for the first time, took care with his words. Where there had been slurs and lax pronunciations, now there was only clarity and purpose. "I will, definitely without fail, prove to you that I am worthy of her." Renji said firmly. Byakuya looked over at Rukia. She was beet red now, obviously embarrassed by the man's straightforward proposal. Byakuya was for the moment; however, impressed. He would remember that.

"We shall see. Now then, let us depart. It would be a shame to be late for dinner, as we have much to discuss." Snapping his fingers, Byakuya instructed his driver to take care of Renji's luggage. As he turned back to step into the car, Byakuya overheard a few whispers.

"So, how'd I do?" The man said confidently.

"Pretty good, considering." Rukia whispered back happily.

Byakuya could almost feel a smile dance across his lips. If they though he was done taking stock, they were sorely mistaken. Though impressive, Byakuya would test Abari Renji until he finally broke. Because it was only when broken that men showed their true character.

And of course, Byakuya knew many ways to break a man.

XxXxX

Ichigo leaned back in his chair, stretching his arms slowly over his head. "So there you have it, the whole thing. I've actually been back in Japan for a few years, but I didn't want to risk any contact. Sorry, but any one of you could have slipped up in front of my dad." Ichigo said.

"So the only reason you decided to return here is because of Inoue-san?" Chad said. "I see, then I'll have to extend my thanks to her when I see her again." Keigo shook his head violently: the liquor was getting to him.

"Still, all of this misery for a brawd? Though she does have the biggest boobs I've-" Ichigo elbowed said drunk in the face, cutting off his continued perverted ramblings. The others gave a laugh.

"Love makes you do crazy things." Mizuro said, almost sadly, as he looked deeply into his drink. "They say men will willingly walk head first into hell for it, I guess it holds true." Ichigo grinned in response. "Guess so." He said, taking another drink.

"So I understand why you would want to leave." Yoruichi said, the most sober out of the group, despite having arguably drank the heaviest, "I mean, with Kaien and all that. Plus you were a stupid teenager, so I've factored that in." Ichigo looked over to her. "Yeah, so?" He asked simply. Yoruichi put a finger to her chin, as if she didn't know how to continue.

"Well I mean, why didn't you take Rukia with you? Or I guess, why'd you break up with her? On top of arguably being the cutest couple I'd ever seen, you were downright inseparable!"

"Yeah, what she said!" Keigo yelled from the floor, trying to balance himself on the bar stool above. "What the hell? Not only did you leave, Rukia-chan left too! It was your fault, wasn't it!" He continued to rant, as he fell back down to the floor. Ichigo retreated into silence, not even bothering to drink any more. After a time he looked back up, to see all eyes still on him. Sighing deeply, Ichigo put his head in his hands.

"Rukia, eh? It's always about fucking Rukia..." Ichigo trailed off, refusing to lift his head. "Does it matter? I was with her, now I'm not. Who cares."

"I do."

Ichigo froze. He knew that voice, even after all this time. After all, how could he forget? The voice of perhaps his oldest friend. He smiled, turning to face her.

"Hey, Tatsuki. Long time no see. How long have you been there?" Ichigo asked.

He was answered by a left hook to the cheek.

This wasn't like his father's weak ass kicks, or his sister's frantic beat down. Tatsuki had swung to to hurt him bad, and even though Ichigo had shifted to avoid major damage, he was still sure she had fractured his cheekbone. Ichigo tried to steady himself, but the many drinks had taken their toll on his balance, and instead he fell backwards on to the floor.

"Arisawa!" four voices rang out in unison, each of them appalled but too taken aback to have stopped the punch. Even Yoruichi, whom Ichigo knew was many times faster than even him, was standing back. The look on Tatsuki's face as she approached Ichigo was clear: anybody who got in her way wasn't going to get it easy.

"After all this time... _that's _all you have to say! You bastard! I'm... I'M GOING TO-"

She reared back ready to take another shot at the boy lying helplessly on the ground, far too drunk and off guard to do anything about it. Yet just as her hand was a mere inch from his face, Ichigo saw the fist stop. A hand had reached out from the side and, expertly, grabbed Tatsuki firmly by the wrist.

All eyes were drawn to Urahara, whom everyone though had been in the back getting more drinks, now standing calmly between the two old friends.

"Arisawa-chan, that's enough. If you attack Kurosaki-kun again, I'm going to have to throw you out." Urahara said evenly, the emotion gone from his voice. Tatsuki was silent, for a moment, before her face contorted back into a deep scowl.

"Let go of me you old bastard. He deserves this-, you know he deserves this! He abandoned us, abandoned everything like some scared little brat! He's a spoiled child, so I'm going to beat him like one!" She yelled frantically, trying desperately to wrench her wrist away from Urahara's vice-like grip.

"You don't know!" She persisted, "You're just some old pervert who leered at Orihime and snuck these bastards beer for fun! You weren't his friend! You don't know how it felt, how it feels to-!" Tatsuki trailed off, letting her hand fall to her side. "You don't..." She whispered. Urahara lifted her off of Ichigo slowly, her form following his motions like a rag doll. No sooner had he sat her down that Ichigo was on his feet, rubbing his cheek softly.

"It's getting late." Ichigo said simply, looking out into the night. "Plus I'm way too drunk. Can't believe I lost my footing, how embarrassing," he mused to no one in particular. Turning, Ichigo gave his friends a hollow smile. "It was fun, really. Seeing you all again... well, I missed it. We should start hanging out more, now that I'm back in town. It'd be... just like the old days."

A few uneasy agreements and nods later, Ichigo turned to leave.

No one dared ask him why he hadn't even so much as looked Tatsuki in the eye.

XxXxX

With a sigh that could signify the weight of the universe being lifted from one's shoulders, Rukia closed the door to her bedroom behind her. Letting her head come to a rest on the wall, she relished the silence around her.

Dinner had been hell, there was simply no other way to describe it. Though Renji had committed no social atrocities to set her brother on edge, nor had she spared any effort to try to make Renji seem more appealing to her brother, the atmosphere had been... tense, to say the least. Every second he wasn't eating, Byakuya was grilling Renji. Questions about his job, his past, his opinions on the current economic and political state of Japan. It seemed that Renji had prepared an arsenal of answers in advance, yet it was nothing compared to the armada of questions her brother had stockpiled. In only 30 minutes, Rukia honestly wondered if her brother knew more about Renji than even she did. Definitely not for the first time, Rukia regretted not telling her brother about Renji sooner. Perhaps all of this could have been avoided.

There was a sharp knock at the door and Rukia, simply expecting one of the maids, beckoned they enter. It was only when her fiancee's arms were around her did Rukia jump.

"R-Renji!" She said quickly. Renji gave a smile.

"Hey there. I wa-"

"Come with me, quickly!" Rukia shouted frantically, grabbing Renji by the hand and, despite his height, easily pulling him out of her room and far down the hallway. After a good minute or so of this, Rukia finally came to a stop, letting Renji's hand go free. Said man gave her a disgruntled look.

"Not that I ever mind holdin' yer hand or anything," he began, flashing a quick smirk, "but what the hell was that?" Rukia put a finger to his lips. She looked around a few corners until, satisfied, she turned back to him.

"Nii-sama absolutely cannot see you in my room!" Rukia whispered harshly. "Or near my room for that matter. Or probably even on the same floor as my room! If he even has reason to suspect that we're... well, you know, he'll throw you out of here in an instant!" Rukia finished off. Renji gave a small scoff, putting a frustrated hand to his forehead.

"I swear, Rukia. When you told me yer brother was a little strict, I imagined an old fashioned upper society type. Not the fucking third Reich of dating." he said in a rather loud voice, much to Rukia's distress. "He doesn't want me sleeping in yer room? Fine. Juvenile, but fine. However, I should be able ta go and engage my fiancee in frickin' conversation!"

Rukia gave a small pout. "Wasn't it you who said 'Oh Rukia! I promise, I'll do anything I have to so I can impress your brother! Anything for you Rukia!' Or am I mistaken?" Rukia teased. Renji crossed his arms blushing slightly as he looked away.

"A-and I meant it! I just don't like ta idea of havin' to pretend you don't exist ta do it." Renji said, nodding his head. "Just not right at all..." Rukia gave a sigh, putting a hand to his chest. "Look, I know you're frustrated. I'm not thrilled about this either but... this is my fault. And I love Nii-sama, so please, be patient and abide by his wishes." She said.

"Alright, alright..." Renji relented, rubbing his tattooed temples softly. "I get it. Can I at least ask ya what I was going ta?" Rukia gave another peer down the hallway before turning back to him. "Okay, but quickly. Quietly, too."

"Noted." Renji whispered. "Now then, I wanted ta know if ya might be able to show me around town tomorrow, maybe get some lunch? I know where the branch office is but that's 'bout it, plus ta be honest I'd sell my soul at this point ta get one meal without that guy over my shoulder." Renji finished. Rukia put a hand to her chin in thought.

"Well, if I use the excuse that I have to show you where shops are and the like, I think I might be able to get away with lunch. Though I wish you wouldn't be so hard on Nii-sama." Rukia added. Renji raised an eyebrow.

"Me, hard on him? Isn't it the other way around? Kidding, kidding!" He added swiftly at Rukia's glare. "The truth's I respect him, a lot. CEO at such a young age, and with this freaking manor... honestly, I'm a little envious. He's everything I've aspired ta become. As a businessman, I respect him." Renji said honestly, "but as a potential brother-in-law, he scares the _shit _outta me." Rukia grinned.

"He'll warm up to you, I promise. I can tell: my brother is impressed with you. The reason he's being so harsh is that he's nervous and... a bit territorial."

"Nah really? I couldn't tell." Renji replied sarcastically, only to receive a mock smack to the chest. "Well, guess I'll retreat, then. Yer maids are a little scary, they'd already unpacked all my stuff! Still, I've got a little work ta do before I report to the branch tomorrow, so I'll let the crazy rules go for tonight." Renji said. "Can I at least kiss ya goodnight?" He finished off. Rukia frowned.

"O-Of course! In fact, I'd be offended if you didn't-" Rukia was cut off byby a familiar soft feeling on her lips, before Renji stood back up to full height.

"Good night, Rukia." He said softly, before turning and walking back towards the stairs. Rukia did likewise, after fighting down the blush she felt on her cheeks. She had to return to her room quick, in case her brother got wise.

She was surprised, then, to find said brother already in her room when she returned, hands folded behind his back as Byakuya looked out into the street below. Rukia bit back a gulp: she was busted, wasn't she?

"N-Nii-sama?" Rukia called meekly. Byakuya turned around, meeting her gaze. "Rukia, I apologize for the intrusion. I assumed you would be in your room."

"Ah, yes. W-well I…" Rukia trailed off, not sure how to proceed. She could lie of course, there was any number of innocent things she could claim to have been doing. However, there were still those words in her head…

_I request one thing from you even still: honesty._

"The truth is, I got caught up talking to Renji. He needs to do some shopping tomorrow after work, so he wanted to know if it was okay for me to get some lunch with him, and show him around." Rukia admitted. Though she was glad she hadn't lied, Rukia knew she'd blown it. There was no way that Nii-sama would let her-

"I see. It makes sense, of course he will be staying with us for a while, so he will need to familiarize himself. Very well, I see no problem with it."

"R-Really?" Rukia stammered. She realized she had sounded a bit too amazed, and quickly reversed. "I-I mean, thank you! Of course, I'll do my best to acclimate him!" Byakuya gave a small sigh.

"You need not act so surprised. Despite all appearances I was… impressed, with that man. I am glad to see your choice in men has matured over these years. I think, perhaps, he has earned a respite." Rukia beamed in response.

"Nii-sama, that's-!"

"Of course," Byakuya continued, "We will be having dinner together tomorrow, as well. I am far from finished assessing his character." With that, Byakuya swept past his sister. "I look forward seeing you tomorrow, of course." He added before closing the door behind him. Rukia stared after the door, a small smile on her face. It was because of moments like these that she knew despite all appearances, her brother was a very kind person.

"Excuse me, Kuchiki-sama."

Rukia's door opened a third time, this time a maid stepping into the room. Rukia turned to face her.

"Yes, what is it?" She asked. The maid gave a small bow.

"Pardon me Kuchiki-sama, I just have a quick question. We were sorting your laundry tonight, and found these articles in your dresser."

The maid held out a tattered coat and scarf, still unwashed and thick with a decade of dust. Rukia held failed to catch her breath at the sight.

"We took a full account of your wardrobe when you first arrived, but nobody recognizes these. Are they yours?" The maid asked. Rukia strained to keep her voice straight.

"Y-Yes, those are mine. They were in a different bag, away from the rest of my cloths. That's probably why you didn't wash them." Rukia managed. The maid tilted her head to the side.

"But I thought we unpacked all your... oh well. In any case, they are yours, correct? Then I will have them washed immediately."

"Ah, wait!" Rukia called. The maid stopped, turning back around. "Yes, Kuchiki-sama?" She asked curiously.

"Er... t-those cloths are very old, you see. I have them for... s-sentimental reasons. So they need to be... drycleaned! Yes, drycleaned. I'm going into town with Renji tomorrow, so I'd be no trouble for me to take care of it."

The maid let her gaze linger on Rukia for a few seconds, before giving a small bow and handing the cloths to Rukia. "Very well, Kuchiki-sama, if that's what you want. Have a good night, then."

"Yes, you too." Rukia called back.

The maid exited the room briskly, leaving Rukia to stand in the middle of her room, unable to take her eyes or mind off the old, dusty coat and scarf she held in her arms.

XxXxX

"It's getting pretty late, you know."

Two in the morning to be exact, and the bar was closing. Tessei was sweeping the floors, Yoruichi putting up chairs, and Urahara bent over the counter, trying to convince the girl who'd been sitting there for so long to finally leave. She hadn't so much as said a word since Ichigo had left though, and as far as Urahara could tell, she wasn't going to. Sighing, he looked up to the collection of friends gathering up their belongings.

"Hey, any of you all think you can take this one with you?" He asked. Mizuro looked up, giving a nod. "Yeah sure, I ca-"

He was halted by Keigo's hand, placed firmly against his chest.

"I got this one." The boy said, with a much more sober composure than Mizuro thought possible. "You get on home to your pretty wife. Leave losers to losers." Keigo flashed his friends a goodbye wave, before sauntering over towards the bar. Chad and Mizuro lingered for a moment, before nodding to one another and heading their respective ways.

Keigo sat down next to Tatsuki, easing into the stool with a sigh. "Hey Urahara-san. I know you're technically closed, but can I get a glass of water? My head's still killing me." Keigo asked. The bartender gave a nod, placing a water glass down a minute late. Taking a deep gulp, Keigo gave a satisfied hum.

"That's good. Your water always tasted the best for some reason, Urahara-san. I remember the old days, when you'd let us drink in the back. After wards, you'd give us all an ice cold glass of water. You'd tell us it was to hydrate us, so we didn't get hung over the next day. You were a nut, but you were always looking out for us." Keigo looked over at Tatsuki, who's head was still down on the bar.

"You'd never come with us though, would you Tatsuki? Chad too, the both of you were just too serious. 'we're minors, we can't drink alcohol'… man, such buzz kills. You know you used to make Ichigo feel guilty about the whole thing, right? He always had a thing against leaving his friends outta the loop."

"Shut up." She said into the bar, the first words of the night from her. "I don't want to talk to you about it." Keigo gave a small shrug.

"Fine then, I'm just talking to myself from now on. That cool?" He asked. Keigo took her lack of response as a yes.

"Back in those days, Ichigo was really the glue that held our whole group together. He was always the mastermind, the guy who called everybody up to do something, even if it was just to hang in his garage and bitch about life in general. He was always there… for all of us, you know? Any problem we had, he'd have your back. It was like he wanted to save everyone, all by himself…" Keigo trailed off for a full minute, letting the silence echo. Perhaps he was remembering the time that Ichigo had saved his own life.

"So then what happens when a guy like that goes to pieces? Kaien-senpai and Miyako-senpai dying really hit him… I didn't know 'em well, but Ichigo did. Rukia-chan too…they were all really close. So when Ichigo lost them… he was kinda in a bind, you know? I thought to myself: 'Keigo you bastard, how many times has Ichigo stuck his neck out for you when you needed it? Man up and return the favor!' I really wanted to pay him back for it all. I finally got up the stones too but by then… he was gone."

Keigo finished his water glass, placing it down on the bar. Urahara didn't pick it up though: nobody else was moving. They were transfixed: both by Keigo's sudden seriousness, as well as his story.

"Well the three of us, Mizuro, Chad and I, we went looking for him. Rukia was gone too, so we figured there'd have to be a link, you know? We called everybody who knew him, tried to flag down taxi drivers and bus drivers for info… we did everything we could. Found out a lot. Apparently that guy Ishida he used to hang out with was looking for him too. Much more quiet about it than us, but still: we weren't the only ones. So we figured that eventually, we'd have to figure out where he went! Nothing though, found nothing. We'd been abandoned entirely. It was like he was some shared hallucination or something, and then one day poof, gone." Keigo stopped here, turning to Tatsuki. Her head was still down, but now it was turned, looking at Keigo. He met her gaze with a half-smile.

"So of course when the bastard turned up outta nowhere a decade later, and acts like nothing happened? I was pissed. I wanted to beat the shit out of him. I wanted to yell and kick and throw it all in his face. I wanted him to feel some of the misery that we felt, having to fill that hole for ten years." Tatsuki nodded, keeping the gaze. "But I didn't. I let it go. I accepted him back. There was nothing else I could have done."

"Why?" She asked quietly.

"Like I said: I owe him. Considering he's saved my life, I had to let him off the hook. But there was another reason. It was because…" Keigo trailed off, not sure how to phrase his feelings. "I guess, because the Ichigo now isn't the same Ichigo who ran away. He's a totally different person… and I can't hold somebody else accountable for the idiocy of an old friend." Keigo finished, seemingly satisfied. Giving a yawn, Keigo stood up, stretching his arms above his head.

"The reason he's back is because he's engaged you know." Keigo continued. "He's engaged to Inoue-chan. Yep-" He concurred, at the frantic gaze that swiveled to meet his own, "I was surprised too. Our precious Hime-chan, marrying such a brute? But it's true, and that's that. Inoue-san is probably the kindest person I know. If she's willing to marry that moron… then he can't be all that bad. She must see something beneath all that anger and guilt he seems to be dragging around. "

"Why… why didn't he-?" Tatsuki began, "Why didn't she tell me? Why was I-?" She couldn't finished, and Tatsuki could only look back at Keigo.

"So I'm just asking you Tatsuki, as a friend: lay off him, alright? Wait until you've had a chance to speak with Inoue-san, and then with Ichigo. The real Ichigo. After that, if you're still not satisfied… well then hell, I'll help you beat him up." Reaching out, Keigo put a firm hand on her shoulder.

"Now come on, I'll drive you home. I think you've had a long enough day."

No protests were uttered, and slowly Tatsuki allowed herself to be guided out of the bar. The two disappeared out the door and, with a ring of the small bell above it, only the owners of the bar remained.

"That Ichigo is such an idiot." Yoruichi sighed to herself, "I say he deserved that punch." Urahara adjusted his hat, giving a shrug. "My my, everybody's so violent today."

XxXxX

Ichigo shuffled into the front room of his house, depositing his shoes and coat unceremoniously on the floor before making a quiet ascent up the stairs. The house was pitch black: no doubt the rest of the family had already gone to bed. Not surprising, it was in his father's nature to make sure that the Kurosaki children were up early, and thus in bed early as well. As Ichigo headed to his room he felt a rare moment of gratefulness towards his dad: he didn't feel like dealing with any of them or their questions. Ichigo was sure that Tatsuki's blow would leave a bruise, one he wouldn't be able to hide from his father. However Ichigo was far too drained to even check his wound in the mirror, and instead opted to make a beeline for his bed. As he laid against the pillow Ichigo's aching body seemed to settle, though his mind was still racing.

Had he expected any less from Tatsuki? She had always been somebody who punched first and asked questions later. Even so though, what had he done to make her that upset? Sure he'd left without telling them, and Ichigo wasn't stupid enough to think that they wouldn't have been hurt somewhat by that, but to such an extent as assaulting him over it? Had he really caused his oldest friend that much pain? And if so... had he done the same to the others? Did they want to unleash on him just as badly as Tatsuki, but simply chose to hold back? Why? For his sake? That though left a terrible taste in his mouth.

Ichigo rubbed his cheek absently. He knew that such a punch was exactly what he deserved for being so stupid. But it was the _right _decision, no matter how stupid. Only looking back could Ichigo truly appreciate how much he needed to strike out. He couldn't have remained in Karakura for his whole life: this was not a place he could have gotten over the past. Though its shadows still haunted him, Ichigo was almost ready to finally move on, marry his girl, and live his real life.

How was he supposed to explain all of that to Tatsuki? In the single instant he had met her eyes, that look in her own eyes... Ichigo had simply lost the words.

"This is a mess." Ichigo mumbled into his pillow. "How the fuck am I supposed to get out of it?" The question aimed at nobody echoed in the silence.

_Tap Tap Tap_

Ichigo looked up, brought back to awareness by the faint sound. Ichigo looked about, trying to find the find the source. No dice though, he'd not been alert enough to discern it before. So he waited.

_Tap Tap Tap_

There it was. In retrospect, Ichigo should have known what to expect. Nothing else would be making that sound, in that location, at this hour. Then again, Ichigo was not all together himself at the moment. So without thinking Ichigo stood up, walked to the window, and opened it.

For the second night in a row, he was face to face with Kuchiki Rukia.

XxXxX

His look, of course, told the whole story. It spoke about their mutual feelings on the particular situation: why was she here again?

In truth, Rukia didn't quite exactly know what had spurred her to come see this man again. Perhaps it had been that distant memory she'd dreamed of the previous night. Perhaps it had been Tatsuki's impassioned plea. Perhaps it was the old clothing she had been handed, and what it symbolized... what it meant.

No... it was because she hadn't been able to stop thinking about the orange haired brat for more than moment the entire damn day.

Rukia clenched her fists. It was infuriating! This bastard was supposed to be out of her life. She had feared and loathed the day she would meet him again. She had prepared herself for anything, for any accusation or hateful word thrown at her. She had prepared to kill her own heart to protect it.

What she hadn't expected was for him to speak warmly to her again. Ever since that previous night, he had permeated her thoughts. Her dreams, Tatsuki... even when she was supposed to be helping Renji get in good with Nii-sama, she couldn't help but wonder if the flash of orange she'd seen sitting in Urahara's bar as she drove by was Ichigo. This was unacceptable! She was over him; finished being a foolish and naïve child, and ready to be an adult. So why? Why him! Why now?

Why had she suddenly wanted to see him so badly that she'd risked her entire future just to sneak out and visit again?

"I'll admit, I wasn't expecting this again." Ichigo said after a brief silence. "Well, whatever. Not like you could make the night end worse if you tried. Have a seat, I won't stop you"

Carefully, Ichigo eased himself onto the windowsill. Following his lead, Rukia did the same. "Bad day, I take it?" Rukia said nervously. Ichigo shook his head. "Fucking fantastic, thanks for asking. Not that it matters, I deserved the shit that got thrown my way." he trailed off, breaking eye contact. Rukia raised an eyebrow.

"Oh my, what's this? Ichigo being humble? I don't-, Ichigo what happened to you?" Rukia interjected, "Your face looks terrible!" Ichigo raised a hand to his cheek, giving a grimace. "Damn, so much for hiding it from pops tomorrow. Oh well, probably for the better. He'll be able to do more for it than I could."

"What is it with you and fights?" Rukia scolded. "You were always like that. If you weren't fighting with your supposed 'rival' Ishida-san, you were off sparring with Keigo and Kai-" Rukia abruptly stopped, realizing what she was about to invoke. Ichigo too, was gritting his teeth at the close call. Rukia tried to recover. "I-I mean-"

"Save it." Ichigo said, cutting her off. "It's okay, I know you didn't mean to. At any rate, I wasn't fighting. Or at least, I didn't get a swing in. This is Tatsuki's handiwork." Ichigo said, a small frown on his face. "She caught up to me while I was out drinking... guess I shouldn't have been so flippant. Still, she didn't have to go and hit me _that _hard." Ichigo grumbled. He looked back up and, upon noticing Rukia's face, raised an eyebrow. "What's eating you?" He asked.

"It's my fault." Rukia whispered, unable to meet Ichigo's gaze. "I met up with her today and she was asking about u-... you. She seemed really desperate so I told her you were here. She probably found out where you were from your dad." Rukia braced herself for his anger. Instead, she got a small grunt and a shrug.

"Ah, well whatever. I would have gotten decked by her sometime, might as well have been sooner than later." Ichigo lamented, rubbing his temples lightly. "She's always been like that: punch first and talk later. I just wish... it's hard, you know? Explaining why I did what I did... why it was the right thing to do." Ichigo looked back up at Rukia. "I just get tired of it." He said. Rukia gave a small smirk.

"Why so melancholy, Ichigo? That's not like you. Aren't you the same man who once said he'd protect everybody he knew? Now he's whining about being punched by a girl... you really should be more manly." Rukia teased. Ichigo shot her an indignant look.

"Oi, I'm plenty manly. These are the problems a man has to contemplate his entire life." Ichigo retorted. "Besides, isn't it unbecoming of a grown woman to sneak out of the house this late and go tapping on other people's windows?" Ichigo replied snidely. Rukia puffed her cheeks.

"Of course not. Like you said I'm a grown woman: I can make my own decisions. Besides, there's no problem bothering a fool like you."

"Bitch."

"Asshole."

Ichigo's grin widened. "Alright then miss independent, riddle me this: why exactly are you back here again?" he asked. "Miss me that much?" He added. Rukia felt a small blush rise to her cheeks, and she turned her head sharply. "Fool! I simply felt like having a conversation with somebody far less intelligent than myself! Nii-sama is much too tiring to talk to all the time, you're a decent distraction." She said haughtily. Ichigo let out a chuckle.

"I see, well could you try to contain your desires tomorrow night? Orihime will most likely be in this room then too, and I'm not sure how good it would look to have my ex tapping on my window at two in the morning." Ichigo joked.

Rukia felt her stomach do a flip. That's right: Orihime was engaged to Ichigo. Rukia was here right now, having fun like this... but it was all just an illusion. Tomorrow Ichigo would be spending the night passing the time with Orihime, not her. The same way Rukia should be doing with Renji right now. No, even if that weren't the case, Rukia couldn't let herself lose sight of reality: Ichigo was mad at her beyond all reason. He had kept this old promise, for whatever reason, but he would still tear her down if they met anywhere else. He was not her friend, or anything related. He was an angry ex, very willing to give her a piece of his mind.

Yet even so, he'd-

"Ichigo." Rukia said firmly, drawing his attention, "I have something to tell you." Ichigo raised an eyebrow. "Okay, I'm listening." He said curiously. Rukia lowered her gaze, pushing her fingers together awkwardly. "I.. I feel like I owe it to you to tell you this, especially since you told me about Orihime. I got distracted last night, but otherwise I would have told you then." Rukia continued on, stumbling over her words. Ichigo was sitting fully upright now, eyes locked to her. "Alright then," he said calmly, "go ahead." Rukia took a breath,

"That man I told you about, Renji? He's my fiancee. I am also getting married." She said, desperately trying to keep her voice steady, "He's staying at Nii-sama's house right now... He'll be staying with me all through New Years, until the wedding." Rukia immediately turned away, unable to face Ichigo. She didn't want to see his face. Her breath was short from saying it all in a single gasp, her heart was pounding like a bass drum. She was already a wreck, she couldn't bear to see his angry face. If she did she'd-

"Yeah, I figured as much."

Her eyes darted towards Ichigo. He was sitting just as he was before, now now he was leaned back again, in a relaxed position. His left hand ran aimlessly through his hair as his gentle gaze faced upward towards the stars. Once again, it seemed that Rukia's predictions about this man had fallen flat.

"Y-you did?" She managed after a minute. Ichigo gave a snort.

"Please, as if you weren't obvious about it. 'then there's Renji,' you should have seen your face. It was obvious you were... well, you know." Ichigo finished with a sigh. Rukia fumbled around a bit, unsure of what to say next.

"Er... Ichi-"

"But man, do I feel sorry for this guy." Ichigo mused. Rukia stopped dead. "Eh?" She managed. Ichigo gave a shrug. "I mean, take it from a guy who's been there: you're quite the handful. It's a stressful job, I don't envy him. Heh, must be crazy." Rukia remained frozen for a moment, struck stupid by Ichigo's comments. Then:

"O-Oi! Are you saying that only a crazy person would date me!" Rukia yelled. Ichigo nodded in response. "Of course. I mean think about it: the Napoleon complex, the anger, the borderline abuse you dole out... let's just say you're not the perfect catch." Ichigo shrugged.

"Y-You bastard!" Rukia screamed, unable to contain herself any longer. "First of all, I do NOT have a Napoleon complex, second I only hit people when they deserve it! Like you do now!" She finished, reaching over to brain Ichigo on the head, sending him falling back into his room. "And finally, you dated me! So what exactly does that say about you!" Rukia blared.

"Well, call it the craziness of youth." Ichigo mused as he rose back up to reclaim his space, rubbing his head tenderly. "Besides, I've mellowed out, some. You on the other hand? Just as insane. Honestly, this Renji guy must have poor taste." Ichigo nodded to himself. "No other explanation."

Rukia clenched her fists, feeling the blood rush to her face. "Ichigo-!"

"But really, Rukia. I don't blame you." Ichigo said quietly. In an instant, her anger vanished.

"W-what?" She managed after a moment.

"I don't blame you." Ichigo repeated, a little louder. "For finding another man, for falling in love again. For deciding to get married. I don't blame you for it."

"B-but..." Rukia said, unable to form words out of her chaotic thoughts. Ichigo didn't blame her? How the hell could he say that? After all the crap he'd given her the night before, after the threat of anger... how? "Why?" She pleaded.

"Because... I know how hard it was. Getting over the guilt and the anger, trying to figure out how you're going to go on, or ever love somebody else. The guilt of then falling in love, denying it, and eventually accepting it. The pain one goes through... I understand it all. Not only that, I know that I caused Orihime far too much pain as a result... and I'm sure you did the same to this Renji guy." Ichigo continued, rubbing the back of his neck gingerly. "So... I can't blame you. Even if we meet out there, even if I blame you for everything else... I don't blame you for finding the courage to love somebody again."

"Ichigo..." Rukia said, stunned. She couldn't say anything else. She couldn't find the words to thank him, or mock him, or anything. It seemed that time and time again, this man before her was leaving her awestruck. He was so different from the Ichigo she'd known ten years ago. When had it happened. In America? Because of Orihime? Rukia didn't know.

But she did know that she'd dated a boy pretending to be a man... and now she was talking to a real man, who'd grown up and found his take on the world.

So then, what had she done with her ten years? 

"Threw you for a loop, eh?" Ichigo said snidely, jolting Rukia back to reality. He gave her a smirk. "Well I will admit, even if I don't blame you, it still ticks me off a little to know you dumped my ass for some other guy. I might have to take a swing or two at him, just so you know." Rukia gave a scoff.

"Please, Renji's at least 3 inches taller than you. He'd mop the floor with you."

"Height doesn't mean shit. In a straight up fight, it's all about skill."

"I like how you're implying that you have 'skill' in anything, Ichigo." Rukia laughed. Ichigo gave an indignant cough.

"Oi, I'll have you know I've kept up my training while in America. I'd knock this Renji guy right on his ass."

"He used to roll in a gang, you know. Martial arts don't mean a damn if he pulls a gun on you."

"Oh, so you admit you have terrible taste in men?"

"Of course I do, look at yourself." Rukia said, claiming victory in the small verbal exchange. Ichigo gave a sigh, running his hand unconsciously through his hair once again.

"You haven't changed one bit. Every conversation with you is a freaking competition." Ichigo grumbled to himself.

"Oh? A competition, huh? In that case, what exactly does a beautiful woman like me win for outsmarting the slack jawed idiot?" Rukia laughed to herself.

"What do you want?"

Rukia's laughter ceased, and she looked back at Ichigo. She had expected a joking smile or a smirk: not the serious gaze piercing through her.

"Ichigo?" She managed.

"What do you want?" Ichigo repeated, refusing to take his eyes off Rukia. "I mean really: what is it? You came here for a reason, didn't you? You must have wanted something. So tell me, and maybe I'll humor you." Ichigo said softly. "Who knows? I have so far." Rukia faltered under his gaze. What she wanted? How was she supposed to know something like that? She'd just wanted to see him again, one final time. Wasn't it just fear of commitment? There wasn't any particular reason: he had treated her kindly before, and she wanted him to do so again, right?

"I-I just..." Rukia started, but found her voice failing her. "I didn't-"

"Bullshit." Ichigo said, still staring right at her. "You told me yourself: this Renji guy is at your brother's house right now. I know a lot of things, despite what you like to think, and I know that Byakuya definitely locked him in some room several floors from yours. But that shouldn't have stopped you: you were already climbing trees when I met you. You could be in this guy's room right now, 'celebrating', but you aren't." Ichigo continued. His voice was firm and clear, leaving no room for the faltering girl before him to interject. This wasn't her: in any other situation, Rukia would not let herself be pushed around like this. Rukia Kuchiki was not most women: she was strong-willed and stubborn to the core: nobody put her down.

Except Ichigo, especially when he played off her insecurities like this. He used to do it before too, when they would fight. He could always find the one chink in her armor, the one flaw in her defenses, and he would swoop on it. He would reduce her strongest convictions to nothing with a few choice words.

"Ichigo-!"

"Instead, here you are outside of MY window, talking to me. Now you're telling me there's no reason for it? Bullshit! Now tell me! Why are you here again! Don't you have your own life? Don't you realize I have mine? Why the hell are you acting like we're still fucking teenagers without any responsibility or reason!"

He was yelling: for the first time since that horrible day he was yelling at her again. She could tell this was only the beginning: this was only the tip of the vast emotional tidal wave he wanted to pour on her. Yet, perhaps once again remembering that sacred promise he had agreed to uphold even after all these years, he went silent again. However he continued staring. For a full minute they were silent: Rukia without any words to placate him, and Ichigo without any means of calming his anger. Finally, he gave a deep sigh, and turned his gaze away. Hopping down from the window sill, Ichigo turned his back on the former lover.

"Sorry. Really, I'm happy for you. Fucking glad even. You're getting married? Great, fantastic. I am too, so let's drop this fucking charade. Let's make this the last time we do this. I know I said I would keep our promise... and I meant it. I felt like I owed us that much. For everything that we used to have. But that's all in the past, and even I have my limits. I can't do this crap anymore."

"Dammit Ichigo!" Rukia choked out. "You're not the only one who's hurting! You're not the only one who's angry-!" Rukia yelled, her voice carrying aimlessly into the night. She closed her eyes, looking down. "I can't do this either! I can't bear the sight of you: of remembering those old days. Don't you realize that? Just looking at you... it all comes back to me. Despite that here I am, talking to you! Doesn't that..." She trailed off, but the words unspoken were understood.

_Doesn't that mean anything?_

"You have no right."

"W-What!" Rukia almost screamed, looking up at the orange haired youth, who's back was still turned towards her. "What the hell does that mean!"

"You heard me." Ichigo said calmly. "You have no right to be angry. Absolutely no fucking right. After all, it was you who rejected me-"

Something in Rukia snapped, and she lost control. In a single motion she bounded across the gap, landing right behind Ichigo. Before he could even make a half-turn, she slammed her fist into his tender wound, sending him to crumple to the ground. He was up in an instant, returning her glare with equal intensity. Rukia clenched her fist harder.

"Cut the crap! What about you? You never even stopped to consider how moronic your so called 'proposal' even was, how much it would have ruined not only my life, but yours as well! Yet you laid all the blame on me! You were a selfish bastard that day, Ichigo! I had hoped that maybe you'd have grown up even a little in these past ten years, but I guess you really haven't! You're still a scared little brat, pretending he's a real man!"

"Che!"

Ichigo marched across the room. Rukia lashed out again, and Ichigo took it without so much as a flinch. Reaching out, he grabbed her by the collar, slamming the petite girl into the wall.

"Don't give me that shit! Selfish? I did it for you! You told me yourself that you couldn't stand it here any longer! You begged me for a chance to leave, remember? Hell, as soon as I was out of the picture, you left anyway! From where I'm standing, the only reason you rejected me was because I didn't mean shit to you!" He roared, his face now inches from hers. Rukia bit back her words, only shaking her head.

"You're wrong. You're such an idiot and you're completely wrong. You don't realize how much I-"

"Am I?" Ichigo asked. "Then tell me to my face: why did you say no?"

Rukia looked away, she would not answer this man. Only now did she realize: he was still just a childish. He was only thinking about himself, even now.

"I feel sorry for Orihime." Rukia said quietly, "having do deal with a man as selfish as you."

Ichigo gave a scoff. "I feel the same. This Renji guy... I'll buy him a drink when you leave him at the alter because you can't fuckin' commit to anything."

With nothing left to exchange, Ichigo released the girl he held to the wall, pointing to the window with his now freed hand. "Leave, and don't come back. Fuck our promise, fuck you. I don't care where I see you next: I'm going to tear you down. Remember that."

Rukia gave a nod. "Yes, I feel like I have to do the same. I had hoped... but it seems I was mistaken. I refuse to acknowledge you. Farewell, Ichigo. I won't hold back when I see you next." Rukia gave a small bound, and exited the room. She skipped her room entirely, taking the two story fall into her old back yard. Hopping the gate quickly, she ran off towards the bus stop. Her delusions, her desires, her previous happiness had all been shattered. Rukia realized she had been acting foolish. There was a reason things had ended so badly a decade ago: and this was why. The damn fool couldn't see past his own pride. He never could, so she shouldn't have expected him to do so now. She had miscalculated.

Biting back her tears, Rukia continued running. She missed the bus, and refused to call a taxi. She didn't stop running until she was back in her room, staring at her own reflection in the mirror. In a furious frenzy, she ripped the scarf and coat from herself, flinging them madly into the corners of her room. She slid to the floor, fighting back her the desires of her emotions. She would not cry. Not over him.

Never again.

XxXxX

**Merry Christmas, Happy Holidays, and everything else. Thanks for always sticking with me and my fickle nature. I love you all.**


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